Requiem
by Jayne Foxx
Summary: AU Klaus/Caroline Post-Season 3. Many years have passed since the car accident that killed Elena Gilbert. Damon loses himself to delusions and depression, while Caroline, on the other hand, has moved to New Orleans with Klaus. Damon, realising he still has deep rooted feelings for Caroline, follows her there, attempting to regain the love he lost long ago.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: New Orleans**

**_AU Klaus/Caroline → Post-Season 3. Many years have passed since the car accident that killed Elena Gilbert. Devastated, Damon loses himself to delusions and depression, hoping for a way to fill the hole in his heart. Caroline, on the other hand, has moved past her best friend's death, and has left to New Orleans with Klaus. Damon, realising he still has deep rooted feelings for Caroline, follows her there, attempting to regain the love he lost long ago._**

**_[edit] A/N: _To old readers, welcome back, and to those who are new, welcome! :) This story was previously known as 'New Orleans' but we've decided to change the name to 'Requiem'. Just wanted to let you all know in case anyone got confused :) Enjoy reading and we hope that you will keep up with our story xx**

The sweaty air stuck to Caroline's skin as she ran to the closest bathroom facilities offered by the nightclub. Being a roughhouse town, New Orleans offered little where hygienic public services were concerned. Making feeble attempts to wipe the still-fresh blood from her chin, Caroline turned the grimy faucet, releasing the thick, hot water from the rainwater tank outside. Not caring to clean the blood off herself anymore, she clenched her eyes shut and held her breath to block out the smell of mildew and mold. Faded pink paint peeled from the corners of the room as she watched a cockroach flick itself across the wall. Cockroaches, much like vampires, were virtually indestructible. They could live for weeks without their heads - one of the many facts she had learnt whilst she waited around for Klaus. That was all she had been doing for the past few years; always waiting around. He'd always had people to deal with and annoyances to chase.

She was surprised to find herself fighting back tears. She missed him, a great deal so, and to have him so far away made her heart ache. Putting on her best determined face, she fixed up her hair in the stained mirror and took purposeful steps out the door, only to walk straight into someone's chest. A certain vampire pushed himself into the already cramped lavatory with her, obviously unwelcome by Caroline.

"Damon!?" Caroline took a step back, nearly tripping over her feet. She wasn't expecting to see the dark haired vampire anywhere near here, so far from Mystic Falls, especially after Klaus had personally threatened him for using her when he'd first arrived.

"What are you doing in New Orleans?" Her voice was beginning to rise hysterically. She always got bad vibes from Damon, and this time was no exception.

The usually sardonic vampire for once wore a serious expression on his face. "Bad news, Caroline…" He paused, gathering himself for what felt like rubbing salt in a still open wound. "Elena's dead." He spat the words out like his mouth was filled with vervain. Unable to make eye contact with her, he stared at the array of stains on the cement floor, bracing himself for the blonde's reaction.

He was slightly taken aback by her lack of response. Elena was her best friend, and he expected far more than a blank stare that screamed an unspoken vow of apathy. Feeling the anger burn beneath his skin, Caroline barely had time to yell before her back was cracked against the bathroom wall.

"She was your friend, Caroline. Do you expect me to believe you feel nothing?" He spoke through his teeth, letting his words mix in with the stale air.

"I guess Klaus has taught me there are more important things than friendship, Damon," she slowly blinked, eyes empty of emotion. "I have places to be, so if you'll excuse me." Two seconds later, the air shimmered red before her and she was alone once more. A small smile graced her face as she fixed her hair back into it's usual perfection and she made her way out of the nightclub.

* * *

Absentmindedly making her way along the darkened streets towards her apartment block, Caroline dug inside her handbag searching for her keys. The sticky night air clumped her hair together as she attempted to push it away from her face. A few passersby attempted to smile at her, but she only frowned back. She didn't really have time for people anymore. Learning about Elena's death meant that she really had no friends left. Everyone she'd loved back in Mystic Falls was gone, and to pretend that it didn't affect her was the only way she could keep Damon away. Sure, he would be angry, but she did not need him here. Seeing him again would make the reality of Elena's passing hit her all over again and she knew she couldn't keep her apathetic air forever. Now all she wanted to do was go home and wallow in the grief she felt at losing not only Elena, but also Klaus, every time he went on one of his regular 'business trips'.

"Guess who, sweetheart."

Caroline smiled from ear to ear as she felt two calloused hands cover her eyes. "I don't know.. Hmm, is it you Tyler?" She heard a quiet growl and her smile only widened. "What about… Stefan? Matt?"

"Enough of the games, love," and just like that Klaus spun her around to face him, and gently, slowly, brought his lips to meet hers. Caroline felt her heart swelling in her chest. He had been gone for so long, and she had spent weeks on end wondering if and when he would come back. Caroline still hardly knew what he did during these prolonged trips of his, and he always refused to tell her where he had been. She knew that Klaus had a dark history and did some horrible things in the past, but she was supposed to trust him now and knew he would never do anything to hurt her.

Breaking their kiss, Caroline led him inside their apartment. It was quaint and small, nothing too eccentric, but it was home. She hadn't wanted anything extravagant from him, and had refused when he'd offered her one of the larger maisons in the district. Their apartment held a style of decor rarely seen in the modern word. Filled with relics from earlier centuries accumulated by Klaus over the years, Caroline had spent most of her time trying to make it feel homely. While Klaus was away, she had taken the liberty of repainting the walls from a 'hideous' turquoise, as Caroline deemed it, to a classier beige. After all, what else was she to do with her time? Going out to nightclubs was becoming a monotonous and tedious affair, and she'd much rather spend her time with her love. Unfortunately for her, he always seemed to have somewhere else to be and refused to take her with him. She had to admit, it hurt a little.

Leading him to the couch, she sat him down and curled into him as he put his arm around her waist, hugging her close.

"I'm glad you're back. I missed you," she smiled as he kissed the top of her head and pulled her just a little bit closer.

"I missed you too, sweetheart. I like what you've done with the place," he looked around, idly playing with the ends of her hair. She liked how it felt, being close to him, but there was still a rift between them that only he could fix. She was glad that he appreciated the changes she had made to the apartment, normally he didn't really notice. Sometimes he only stayed for one night before leaving again. This time, she hadn't heard from him for almost three months.

"Where were you?" she wondered, knowing his answer before his reply.

"Don't worry about it, love, I'm back now." Of course he'd given her same vague answer he always replied with. Honestly, she'd had enough. She was sick of not knowing whether he'd come back every time he went away. She was sick of not knowing who he was with and if he had remained loyal to only her. She was sick of being unsure about whether he was gone for fickle reasons or for more serious ones.

"Well I do worry about it, Klaus! I've had enough." She pushed his arm off her and moved to the opposite end of the couch. "I want to know what's going on. I have the right to know." Crossing her arms, she narrowed her eyes, hoping that he would give in to her this time.

She angrily directed her gaze downwards at the beautiful silver and gold band on the fourth finger of her left hand, encrusted with diamonds all around the edges. The ring she held there was her most beloved material treasure. It was a symbol of her and Klaus's eternal love for one another, but lately she felt like they'd been drifting apart, and it frightened her. She just wanted him to trust her, but it was more than that. She wanted to know that she could trust him too. His continued silence only furthered her anger as she glared at him. He hadn't even changed his expression, that all-knowing smirk forever set into his face.

"Klaus!" She stomped her foot, knowing she was acting like a child. His expression changed and he looked tired, as if he was bored of her already.

"I told you not to worry about it. Come back over here," he commanded, annoyance lacing his words, but she wasn't going to obey him this time.

"If you're not going to tell me, I'm going out. Stay here or go, I don't care anymore," she spat at him, picking herself up. As she turned towards the door, she heard him sigh.

"Sweetheart, it's really not that big of a deal. Come. Over. Here." Again he tried to boss her around and his demands had always worked on her before. He was shocked when she retained her tense posture and refused to turn around.

"Not until you tell me what I need to know. Are you seeing another woman? Is that it?" Her eyes brimmed with tears and she tried to keep the hurt out of her voice. "I don't understand why you can't tell me." Slowly turning towards him, she peeked at his face, trying to gauge his reaction to her questions. Again, he did not speak, instead motioning for her to forget about it and join him once more.

At his stubborn refusal to tell her the truth, she felt anger rising in her once more, taking over all the helplessness she had felt in the days he had been gone. Picking up a picture off the mantelpiece, she threw it at his chest, watching the glass shatter as the edge of the frame pierced his chest and their wedding photo fell to the floor. Hurt flashed in his eyes. Not from the frame leaving cuts in his chest but rather from the sentiment behind it. That their love meant nothing to her anymore, so much so that she had destroyed the one object in the apartment that had marked it as _theirs_.

"What happened to us, Caroline?" he asked, looking up at her, the ever-present smirk now gone from his face. He slowly picked up the picture from the floor, dusting shattered pieces of glass off the edges. For once he looked vulnerable and it just made her feel guilty.

"Love is trust, Klaus. I don't trust you anymore and I don't think you trust me. I need you to tell me what's going on," she looked him in the eyes and told him how she felt. She was done with spending endless nights crying over his unexplained absences. "Whatever it is, we'll work through it together. Like we always have."

Defeat clear in his eyes, Klaus turned towards her. "Caroline, it's… it's Rebekah".

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are much appreciated :) x **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you guests, for the reviews! They mean so much :) **

**Chapter 2: Lost**

Damon was lost. Not just lost inside himself, but literally lost. New Orleans was not his city - it was like an empty vacuum threatening to suck him into oblivion forever. Since he had become a vampire, he had always been alone but he had always felt safe. One got used to the endless loneliness. In a way, it meant you were more independent and free than those who were held down by the burden of having loved ones.

Damon's now passionate resentment for Caroline propelled him down the darkened streets and alleyways of downtown New Orleans. Despite the fact that it was far past midnight, the air was hot and sticky and many windows were foggy with thick condensation. He could feel the familiarity of thin, dark veins emerging under his eyes, the acute but pleasant pain of his fangs tearing through his gums. His humanity brought out the worst in him, and he ached to turn it off. Everything would be better then. No longer would he have to feel the pain of Elena's death, the guilt of the past century and a half would be a long and distant memory. Something kept him rooted though, and he was not sure what it was. Perhaps it was his masochistic nature, always craving the pain that he deserved, or perhaps it was Elena's voice in his head, always berating him for his irrational thoughts and actions.

His racing thoughts stopped in their tracks as the familiar smell of blood and the sound of a beating heart reached his ears. He had tried to be good when he was with Elena, but now, since all was lost, he closed in for the kill.

Fresh blood slowly leaked onto the pavement. Breathing heavily, Damon raised his head from the young girl's throat, and took a faltering step back. A part of him was horrified at what he'd done, but his other half enjoyed it. Enjoyed the thrill of the kill. That part of him had been locked up and confined for years, kept under careful watch by Elena's ever-present judgment. Now that she was no longer with him, he felt like he could let himself go, but not without the guilt that came with every move he made. He could hear her persistent protests echoing in his head, reminding him of the millions of things he shouldn't be doing, but did regardless. Once more he contemplated just turning it off. The psychological pain that came with raw emotion was not worth the physical pain it caused him. His self-destructive nature was beginning to get the best of him and he knew that he would come to a point where he would lose it. He would just turn it off. And who knew what he would do then. Without his dearest Elena to anchor him to sanity, he was a menace, not only to others, but to himself. He shook his head, beadlets of blood raining on the ground. He was no longer sure of whether or not he left the girl alive. If she had a pulse, it was too weak to hear. Another wave of guilt stabbed mercilessly at his conscious.

That's all he'd been able to feel for such a long time. Guilt. Guilt for falling in love with his brother's girl. Guilt for not being able to save her as she drowned. Even now the painful images flashed in his mind…

* * *

The digital clock on the dashboard blinked green, indicating that it was one minute past midnight. Most of the streets were deserted, only the occasional car streaking past in the late night rush to get home. Elena's chocolate brown hair fluffed about in the light breeze from the open window, stray strands tickling Damon's nose. He smiled, leaning over to turn up the music. He knew that his taste wasn't really Elena's cup of tea, but she put up with it regardless, and he was grateful for all the little things. He noted somewhere in the back of his mind that they were coming close to crossing the Wickery Bridge to the other side of town. _Halfway home_, he thought. Despite the fact that he knew there was nothing to worry about, going over this particular bridge always made him feel unsettled. Or maybe it was the full moon in the sky, always a reminder that there were other supernatural beings who meant them harm, also fatal to the immortal vampire race.

It was in this moment, when his full attention wasn't concentrated on Elena or the road, a sharp jerk to the right brought him back to the present. The unexpected violent swerve of the vehicle caught Damon off guard, and he hardly noticed when blood - his own - began to drip down the side of his face, and when the ringing in his ears muffled Elena's screams. Just like a slow-motion picture film, the old wooden railing of Wickery Bridge approached the front of the car. Elena had taken her hands off of the wheel, desperately reaching for him, her sweaty palms slipping through his, unable to tether herself to the last person she wanted to see and to feel.

Elena's "I love you"s became a mantra, an attempt at comforting herself, perhaps hoping that a merciful god would take the liberty to save them, or at the very least spare a painful death. But her pleading was left unaddressed, and far sooner than expected, the wood splintered. Elena's car hung precariously on the edge of the bridge, swaying back and forth; towards the water, and back towards safety it rocked, teasing them. Sending up a final prayer, Elena only hoped. _It won't matter either way_, Elena closed her eyes, resigned to her fate. Caroline was in New Orleans with her husband, Bonnie was spending the summer with family, and Alaric was dead. She had no friends or family that would find out in the near future, so what did it matter.

Slowly and painfully, the old car gave one last jerk and sent the water crashing up against the windshield. Elena tried not to panic as cracks appeared over every dark surface. She wanted to believe that she had prepared herself for death. After all, she'd faced its possibility many times, _but_, she noted darkly,_ I always knew I'd be saved._ This time, she wasn't so sure. Turning her gaze to the passenger seat, she watched Damon as he desperately tried the door handle on his side. She knew he wasn't doing it for himself. Vampires didn't need to breathe. They didn't need a heartbeat. They didn't need love.

A cloud of bubbles flew from Damon's mouth in a silent scream of frustration. It pained him to know that at this point there was hardly a thing he could do for her. Kicking the windshield, he fruitlessly tried to break through the glass barriers. They could see their escape on the other side - it was so close, yet they knew that only one of them would come out of this alive. A sinking feeling in Damon's stomach told him that he'd be the only one to come out; the only one to live with the horror and guilt of what he had just experienced. He could feel his undead heart clench as Elena closed her eyes, the last precious bubbles of oxygen escaping her lips.

His screams and sobs were left unheard under the dense and heavy blanket of water, his salty tears mixing with the fresh water of the river. _How appropriate_, he thought bitterly,_ that her parents should die here, and she should follow. _Grasping her limp hand tightly in his own, he gave it a squeeze, hoping for some kind of response. Desperate, he shook her by her shoulders, knowing in every fibre of his being that she was gone. The pressure of the water outside finally finished the job he wasn't able to complete, and torrents of water caused the windows to shatter, finally giving him the freedom that would have saved her life only moments before. Grabbing her around the waist, he towed her behind him; not willing to leave her body to rot in the dark depths of the river, never to be seen again by her loved ones. She deserved a proper funeral, and a proper funeral was what she would get.

* * *

Lifting the girl from the road, he noticed that her chest was rising in shallow breaths. Sighing, he pulled her to an alley way and, fangs extending, bit into his own arm. Holding his wrist out to her, he let her drink until she'd had enough to survive. Before he left her there, he compelled her to forget.

* * *

"Caroline, it's… it's Rebekah".

Caroline took a step back. Out of all the things she was expecting, that was the last thing on her mind. After Rebekah had taken the cure, she'd become more amiable; a lot more humane. For the most part, she and Caroline had cultivated a friendship of sorts. Having a sister-in-law wasn't as bad as Caroline had expected. She'd thought it would have created a bigger rift between her and Rebekah, and it wasn't until they really got to know each other that they realised how much their differences helped them get along. Two years ago, however, Rebekah had run away with Xander, a human man she'd met at one of her various parties. Caroline couldn't let herself be unhappy for her sister, so she instead opted to be joyous at the fact that Rebekah had finally, _finally_, managed to find her true love.

Klaus held his head in his hands, and Caroline noticed that it looked as if he was trying to hold up the universe. Slowly approaching him, she gently placed her hand on his shoulder, sitting beside him and offering him some quiet comfort. After a while, she leaned her head on his shoulder, softly, cautiously whispering, "Darling, what happened to Rebekah?"

"There's nothing I can do, love. I don't know what to do. So soon after she lost her immortality. Care, I don't know what to do." His words dripped with anguish and as Caroline gently lifted his chin so she could see his face, she saw the tears rolling rapidly down his cheeks.

"What happened to Rebekah?" Running a thumb over his cheeks to brush the tears away, she slowly repeated her words, trying her best not to upset him more than he already was.

"Caroline… She has cancer."

The weight of a million bricks came crashing into her heart and she felt the air escape from her lungs. Her breath came in short, sharp gasps as she looked around in anguish. The phantom faces of all she had lost danced around her. In the mist she saw her mother, Elena, her father, Bonnie, and even Alaric. She could faintly make out Rebekah's shadow reach out her hand to Elena, almost making contact with those she would soon be joining. Klaus couldn't be serious though. Surely he couldn't be serious.

Caroline gasped, snapping out of her melancholy visions. "Klaus. If you're joking around with me, I swear, no matter how much I love you, I will kill you." She shook her head slowly, eyes widening with the bad news. "You would have told me earlier." Her hand covered her mouth and she tried to breathe slowly, attempting to calm herself down. She'd already lost Elena today and she wasn't ready to cope with the idea that she was about to lose another friend. Not just another friend but her husband's _sister_. They'd known that they would lose her eventually but they hadn't expected it to be so soon. Rebekah had only been human for 4 years, and she was already lying on her deathbed.

"I wish I was joking Caroline." Klaus' tone hardened and she knew he was getting angry. Not just angry at himself for giving in to her demands, but angry at the injustice of the world.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I care about her too, Niklaus. You could have told me. You _should_ have told me." Caroline repeatedly hit his chest, trying to release all of her pent up frustration. After a while, when he eventually managed to capture her shaking hands, he pulled her in closer, hugging her to his chest. For once, it wasn't just Caroline who needed him; he needed her too.

As they clung to each other, their tears mixed together, binding them together in a symphony of grief.

**A/N: Thank you for reading our second chapter! Again, reviews mean so much to us and if you would please take the time to give us some feedback, or just leave any sort of review :) Chapter three is in the works right now, and should be up in no time xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Illusions**

**A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed! Well, here is our next chapter, and we hope you enjoy it! **

The car drive home was quiet. Usually the radio would be on, a light jazz or rock functioning as some form of comfort breaking the unbearable silence, but this time around Damon welcomed it. Only his thoughts held a presence in his car, and even though he tried so hard to take his mind off of Elena's premature death, everything he did reminded him of her. Each road trip they took together, in this very car, flashed before his eyes. Every laugh and smile, every tear. Everything that they had experienced together was just a lost and painful memory now, and Damon _wanted_ to forget.

"_Don't turn it off, Damon,"_ a familiar but long forgotten voice urged.

Slamming on the brakes and very nearly suffering some severe whiplash, Damon, sure that nobody was in the car with him, spun around to face the back seat. To his disappointment, yet vast relief, it was still empty.

"_Over here, buddy,"_ voice rich with amusement, a hand waved in front of Damon's eyes, sufficiently catching his attention. Hardly daring to look at owner of said hand, the dark vampire's eyes slowly drifted to the occupant of the passenger seat, and, hardly believing what he was seeing, he greeted one of his most beloved friends.

For once, Damon was at a loss for words. His best friend, his drinking buddy, and the person he needed to see the most right now, aside from Elena, was here. It completely escaped his mind that perhaps what he was seeing wasn't real, but right now, he was too grateful to care about whether or not the man in front of him was a physical manifestation of his grief.

* * *

When Caroline awoke the next morning, the sun was shining far too brightly in a deceivingly cheerful blue sky. Klaus' arm remained around her waist, needing her presence to comfort him even in restless sleep. She still could not fathom why he had not told her sooner. He had been disappearing for months now, _months, _and she was his _wife_ — they were supposed to face their problems together. And _surely _he had known that Rebekah was as much her sister as his. Lying in his arms, her head nestled in his chest, she could not stay mad at him for long. She tried to wrap her head around the issue at hand as she absentmindedly fiddled with the hem of his shirt.

_We could always turn her_, she mused, _but Rebekah would not want it. _And, as she had formerly discovered when they were still unsure about the cure, vampirism would not work on Rebekah anymore. Now her sister-in-law _was_ the cure and ingesting vampire blood would either be ineffectual or would end in death.

Images from Caroline's dreams flickered through her thoughts, like a broken light bulb begging to be fixed. She could not picture Rebekah helpless and ill; she could only see images of the strong and vibrant personality of the former Original. Yet her thoughts were now tainted with both terrifying and wonderful phantasmagorias of Bekah in all her glory. In one, Rebekah, dressed in her favourite 1920s style, whirled her way along the rooftops of a starlit city, headed towards her fallen kin. In another, she laughed with Xander, not noticing that death himself was stalking her as Caroline watched helplessly from a glass prison. In Caroline's dreams she could see that Bekah was happy, but there were always the darker, more claustrophobic shadows threatening to pull her away. She also knew that once Rebekah made it to the end of her light-hearted dance, she would be gone from the world forever.

Gently nudging her husband, she tried to loosen his grip around her waist, simultaneously telling him to _wake up_. Groaning, he let go of her and turned over, returning to his unconscious thoughts. She nudged him again and, when she eventually grew tired of her failed attempts to pull him out of his slumber, she promptly pushed him off the couch and onto the floor.

"What did you do that for, love?" Klaus sat up, a dangerous glint now present in his eyes. She knew he wasn't serious — he never was with her — but she was not up for his games right now.

"I want to see Rebekah, Niklaus. I want to see her today."

"Then, love, it's time I showed you Paris."

* * *

"Nik, what is _she_ doing here?"

The hostile tone in Rebekah's voice was the last thing Caroline had expected when she walked into the hospital room. She hadn't heard such irritation in her sister-in-law's voice since before Rebekah had become human and, even then, it was not as obvious as it was at that moment. Bekah's anger towards her had always been tantalising, more directed at others that at Caroline herself. It stung to realise that even though she and Rebekah had developed a close friendship, the former original did not want her by her side in a time of need.

"Now, now Rebekah, is that any way to treat your sister-in-law after she came all the way out here to see you?" Klaus donned his familiar smirk, an expression so often etched into his face that it almost seemed as if it was natural and relaxed. Caroline spared him a grateful glance, still wondering at Rebekah's hostility.

"I _told _you I did not want her here," Rebekah whined, wishing she had the energy to stand up and stomp her feet in one of her famously ridiculous tantrums. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Caroline, for she had grown to love her sister-in-law over the past few years, but she had wanted to spare her the inevitable pain that came with the looming threat of losing family. She would know, she only had 2 of her 5 brothers left, orphaned when both her parents died — not that she minded, her mother and father had never shown her much love anyway. Once, not so long ago, she would not have cared for how others felt but Xander had shown her how to love, _truly _love. In her best efforts to protect Caroline from the knowledge that she only had a small amount of time left, she had made the decision to keep her illness a secret, asking her brother for that one last favour. Now it was all undone and she could no longer shelter Caroline from her harsh reality.

"I'm sorry Care. I just wasn't expecting to see you again." Rebekah did not realise she was crying until Caroline gently embraced her in her bed. Rubbing the embarrassing tears out of her eyes, she graced her sister-in-law with a small smile, trying her best to convey that at that moment, she felt no physical pain.

"Well, sister, at least you still have your hair."

Rebekah's tears stopped as she shot her brother a glare, his ever-present smirk only growing wider. She managed a silent laugh, however, when Caroline turned around and irritably flicked Nik's forehead exclaiming that he was being _rude_. Her laugh soon developed into a tinkling giggle when, instead of the expected snarky comment, Nik meekly bowed his head and mumbled an apology.

"Care, I do believe you have my brother wrapped around your little finger," she laughed again, earning an eye-roll from Niklaus. It was good to have everyone here with her, she decided. They were like a family again, and she was happier than she had been for months.

"My darling, I come bearing gi… oh hi Niklaus, Caroline." Rebekah smiled as her fiancé acknowledged her brother and his wife. Xander set a blue box down on the table next to her before kissing her gently on her forehead. "When did you guys come in?" he asked, giving Nik a questioning glance. He knew of Rebekah's request and was surprised to have seen Caroline when he entered the room. Nevertheless, he had the ability to be subtle when he needed to be, and thus was able to keep his confusion hidden from Caroline.

"What does it matter, we're here now." Klaus waved the question away with his hand, suddenly bored of the conversation. Caroline wondered at her husband. He had been so _vulnerable_ last night but, as soon as it was more than just the two of them, the Klaus everybody else knew came out into the open. The strong Klaus, the _insufferable _Klaus. She supposed it made sense. She herself was putting on a brave façade at that moment for she knew that showing her pain would not help Rebekah in the slightest.

"Come Niklaus, no need to be so secretive. We are almost brothers after all." Xander's eyes crinkled as he smiled, making Rebekah proud that she had someone like him to call her own. She reached up, entwining their fingers together and squeezing his hand. Sure, she had been with him for a while, but sometimes she found it difficult to believe that someone had actually fallen in love with her too. She had grown so used to unrequited love that she had thought she would be facing it forever. She loved too _quickly_, too _deeply. _To many it sounded fickle, but for her, love was all she craved. Whilst a seemingly vicious creature, she was compassionate deep down and had always been waiting for someone to fill the empty void in her heart. The first time Xan had told her he loved her, she'd slapped him, disbelieving of his words. Over time though, he had shown her, _proved to her_, that his feelings were true. He _loved_ her.

"'Almost' being the key word here, almost-brother," Klaus shot back, giving Xander another bored look.

Caroline just shook her head, choosing to indirectly target her husband's constant stupidity. "How did you manage to put up with this for so long, Bekah? I've only been with Klaus for a few years and _man_ he's getting annoying," she said as she took a seat next to Rebekah's bed. "Any tips? Maybe I should have stayed with Tyler…" she trailed off, winking at Rebekah to assure her that she wasn't being serious.

Klaus growled softly from behind her. "Put up with it sweetheart, I promised to be your last."

"I'm not sure, Care. For the most part I pretended he wasn't ugly and that he didn't have a girly voice. You could try that?" Rebekah winked back at Caroline, ignoring Klaus' former input.

"Bekah, I just wish I had your imagination. I don't think I could _ever_ manage to block out…"

"_Enough._" Caroline smirked as Klaus turned on his heel and walked out of the room, most likely fed up with their teasing. Xander chuckled from behind his to-be wife, letting go of her hand and following Klaus out the door in a bid to show him that not _all_ of them were against him.

Caroline turned to Rebekah once again, her face suddenly masked in a much more serious expression now that it was just the two of them. Looking her sister-in-law straight in the eye, she asked the question she had been wondering all day. "Bekah, how much longer?"

Rebekah knew what she was talking about. Of course the question would have eventually be asked. _How much time did she have left? _The doctor's had made such a fuss when she'd asked the question herself, assuring her that it was only an _estimate, _and not a _definitive timeframe. _When Rebekah turned her head to stare at the floor, Caroline immediately knew that it could not possibly be good. _Only one, maybe two years left?_

"Care, I only have about two months."

Caroline gasped in shock. It was too soon. Far too soon_._ She felt as if her heart had dropped out of her chest and onto the floor, discarded, now too damaged to be of any use to her anymore.

* * *

Having arrived back in Mystic Falls in the early hours of the morning, no one was there to notice the oddity of a grown man speaking to himself on a deserted park bench. Damon was grinning from ear to ear, the first time he'd done so in what seemed like an age, laughing wholeheartedly at something that Alaric said. The light-hearted mood didn't last long though.

"_Damon, as good as it is to see you, you can't keep running from the past. Elena's dead and as much as it hurts, you have to accept that!" _The tone of the conversation turned sombre, and the smile that slowly faded from Damon's face was replaced with an unreadable expression that tried to come off as indifference.

"She's not _really _dead, Ric…" The vampire muttered quietly, not sure if Alaric heard or not. Somewhere deep inside himself, however, Damon knew that he was in denial. He knew that Elena was gone — he was there when she drowned — but the other part of him wanted to keep her memory alive and hold onto her as long as possible.

"_Don't lie to yourself."_ Ric's voice was harsh, but Damon appreciated his attempts at a rough wake-up call. Even though Ric was telling Damon everything he already knew, he still needed to hear it, nonetheless.

Staring down at his open palms, Damon absentmindedly played with his daylight ring, silver and lapis lazuli glowing faintly in the rising sun.

Alaric, taking the silence as an invitation, opened his mouth to continue, but Damon abruptly cut him off.

"I know what you're going to say. 'It'll make you feel better, Damon'. So what, Alaric? How long d'you think it'd last? A week? A day? An _hour_ at the least? What difference does it even make? At the end of the day, Ric, when you've lost somebody close to you, nothing is going to change the fact that the only thing left in your life is a hole in your heart where the love of your life used to be, and a block of stone in a cemetery to remind you of their death."

Alaric sighed, exasperated. "_I see you haven't changed a bit…" _The former vampire hunter clapped Damon on the shoulder, a supposed comforting gesture, but Damon couldn't feel a thing.

**A/N: Again, thank you for the lovely reviews! Constructive criticism is welcome xx :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four: Anguish**

Caroline was at a loss for words. It had already been a few hours since Rebekah had told her the bad news but she still could not remember how to use her vocal folds, only managing a small, choked "I'll… later… bye" before she'd run from the room. She'd escaped to a darkened corner of the hospital, attempting to elude the endless, blinding white. The colour was too _sanitary_, too clinical, and it made her feel exposed, as if her own thoughts were being examined, used to diagnose her for a non-existent disease. She hadn't been fond of hospitals since Katherine had turned her into a vampire. Hospitals made her feel so _evil_, so _abnormal_, forcing her to reminisce on the day she had ruined her formerly innocent soul. Not wanting to dwell on the subject, or on the dreary turn her life had taken in the past day, she shut it all out, choosing to focus on the darkness instead. At some point, Klaus had found her with her back to the world, her glassy eyes staring blankly, _thoughtlessly_, through the white wall in front of her. She hadn't even noticed when he had positioned himself in a seated position beside her, rubbing small circles into her lower back.

"Sweetheart," he eventually said, breaking the silence as he stood up. "As much as I _adore_ the sweet scent of hospital food and dying patients, I'd quite like to leave now. So if you'd kindly make your own way off the floor, I won't be forced to carry you." Klaus was not surprised when he received no response from Caroline, knowing that she would come to terms with the situation in her own time.

"Very well then," he sighed, leaning down to pick her up off the floor. Once she was in his arms, Caroline instinctively leant her face into his chest, arms winding around his neck, tethering herself to him. "You know love, if you wanted to touch me _that _badly you could have just asked. I'm rather happy to oblige." Giving her a tantalising smirk, he looked down at her, attempting to evoke a response through his light teasing. Despite his efforts, however, her face remained blank and her eyes remained empty as they made their way out of the hospital.

When they got to the car, he sat himself in the drivers seat, gently placing her on the passenger side. He was pleasantly surprised when she turned her head to look at him, signalling that there was still someone in the empty shell her body had been for the past few hours.

"Klaus, I… What do we… I don't know what I… how did you…" she tried to form a coherent sentence but soon enough her words were overtaken by silent, gasping sobs. She brought her knuckle up to her mouth, attempting to stifle the sobs racking through her body. Klaus watched helplessly as she curled into herself, trying to bottle up the pain of her situation. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he tried to offer some variation of comfort in an effort to relieve her of her pain.

"If this is about Elena, your doppelgänger friend is one of many; I'm sure you can find another to replace her. If this is about Rebekah, I understand, but to be honest, love, there's not much we can do." Caroline pushed Klaus' hand off her shoulder, choosing to lean away from him and into the cold, glass window instead. Klaus was always _inappropriate_ in these situations. He was never comforting or sympathetic, instead always opting for sarcastically serious remarks. Caroline could recall only one time when he had deviated from his seemingly uncaring demeanour — the previous night when he had first told her of his sister's plight.

The tears continued to stream out of her already reddened and swollen eyes as she stared out the window, her surroundings giving her a mild sense of comfort and peace. Klaus still hadn't moved the car and Caroline felt suffocated. She just needed to get away. Far away from Rebekah and hospitals and Damon so that she could let herself forget, even if just for a moment.

"Don't…" Klaus started, but Caroline had had enough of sitting in the parking lot, waiting for her unsympathetic husband to just _move_.

"Drive," she hissed. Whilst it sounded like a command, it was more of an angry request, and Caroline was relieved when Klaus finally moved the car. She watched the buildings pass by outside the window, colours blurring together in a dizzying whirlwind of hope. Her tears made the images even more murky, almost shielding her from the truth of her situation.

Soon enough, the city colours transitioned to a dark green, the car now driving past green pastures as Klaus drove them towards his countryside maison. Caroline continued to lean her head against the window, musing about how the colour green, when paired with a copper sky, was so incredibly _calming_. Her tears stopped flowing, her heart now aching with unspoken prayers.

* * *

Pouring himself a glass of Bourbon, Damon's younger counterpart took a seat by the dead fireplace. Stefan, always the brooder, stared blankly into space, drink untouched in his hand. Under normal circumstances, he would never express concern for Damon, but his older brother hadn't been back at the boarding house for over a week now and, considering the recent events that had taken place, it worried him. Stefan too had suffered a great loss in Elena's passing, but time had brought an interesting turn of events, and Damon and Elena had grown ever closer whilst he had faded slowly into the background. Not to say he wasn't saddened, but he had had time to move on from their final breakup and had learned to let her go at an early stage. For Damon, on the other hand, it was still a fresh wound. Finally, after getting the girl he loved for so long, she was taken from him in a cruel twist of fate.

Startled by a loud crash originating from the hallway, Stefan set his drink down and removed a wooden stake from behind one of the cushions. Stepping lightly through the house, he was taken aback to find his brother looking like an absolute mess. Stefan looked down in exasperation at his brother's position on the floor. Hair unruly, clothes wrinkled, and eyes rimmed with red, Damon stared blankly up at the ceiling, mumbling incoherently.

Damon's bottle of first class whiskey had tipped sideways and had begun to leak onto the expensive Persian carpet. Upset by the mess on the floor before him, Stefan roughly pulled Damon up from the floor and half carried his brother and proceeded to dump him on the couch ungracefully.

Tearing open the blinds, Stefan watched as his older brother shielded his eyes from the early morning light, barely dodging a bitterly thrown pillow.

* * *

"Caroline, love, we're here." Klaus gently shook her, regretfully having to pull her from her sleep. As her eyes opened and she turned to look at him, he saw the tear stains on her cheeks and her bloodshot eyes, swollen with the burden of releasing torrents of salty agony. It was at this moment that Klaus noticed she looked utterly _broken _and, to his dismay, he had no idea how to repair her.

"Klaus, I don't know how to be strong. I want to get rid of the pain. What if I… what if I turn it off? Will that make me better?" she questioned him, her thinking becoming irrational in her misery. He looked down at her, noticing that her eyes were wide as she looked up at him through her lashes. Sorrow flashed through his veins as he thought about what she'd said. Caroline, _his Caroline, _would never even _consider_ turning her humanity off.

"Sweetheart, as much as I'd _enjoy_ seeing you as a badass vampire without remorse, I must remind you that it's an all or nothing experience. You might forget your sorrow, but we'll also lose our love. Are you _prepared_ for that? Because I'm not." He watched her carefully, trying to gage whether his words had an effect on her at all.

She slowly shook her head. "What kind of a question is that, Klaus? I'd choose _you_ over anything. I'll put up with the pain _for you_. I _love _you."

Despite her reassuring words, Klaus wasn't sure that she fully anticipated the inevitable torment of dealing with both her best friend's death and the impending death of her sister-in-law. From experience, he knew that the grief would only get worse until it eventually became an unending pain, doomed to spent an eternity in Caroline's heart. He wasn't sure that she'd be able to handle that. He wasn't sure that _he_ would be able to handle watching her bottle her pain away forever. It was these thoughts that forced him to make a decision. Klaus decided that he would do the only thing that he was within his power to do.

He caught her shoulders and turned her to face him. Looking into her trusting eyes, eyes which had _never_ expected him to do this, he _almost _reconsidered his decision. Before he could change his mind, he dilated his pupils and very seriously told her, "Rebekah is just your old enemy. You're civil because she's my sister but you have no friendly feelings towards her. Her condition means nothing to you. She and Elena mean nothing to you."

His smile became sad when Caroline sat back, face blank and robbed of her own choices, and repeated, "They mean nothing to me."

* * *

"So let me get this straight, Damon," Stefan began, pacing the living room. The younger Salvatore had given the dark haired vampire the afternoon to get himself together, and it was now, at seven o'clock at night, that Damon was finally coherent and compliant enough to recall the events of the past week. "You left to tell Caroline, who is in New Orleans, about Elena's death, _years _after her passing." Stefan frowned, perplexed. He never understood his brother's motives, considering they were usually for self-gain. "_Why?"_

"Because I had to, Stefan! I had to tell her, because she deserves to know. Even after all this time. I had to tell her, because I love her…" Damon's voice faltered at the end, shocked at himself and at what he had just said. His eyes widened, and he slowly let his head fall into his hands. "No, no, no, no, no…." he mumbled continuously, in complete shock. Standing up from where he sat, he began to pace in front of the fireplace, now lit, its heat battling against the chilled air flowing in from outside. He was _hurt_, and _angry_, and above all, _confused. _He was confused, because he didn't know how he truly felt, and he was in denial because he was so sure that Caroline meant absolutely _nothing_ to him.

Stefan, equally as perturbed, was frozen in place. Caroline was the last person he'd expected Damon to set his heart on. Damon was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve, and the people he _truly_ loved were few. Elena was one of the first, aside from Katherine, that truly had Damon's heart from the beginning. "Damon, are you sure -"

"No, Stefan, why on _earth_ would I be sure about loving _vampire barbie?_" Damon's lips curled up in a scowl, and turned to head upstairs so he could get his thoughts together in the confines of his room. However, just before he could do just that, Stefan pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Damon," Stefan whispered, finally letting go of every ounce of sadness and anguish he'd bottled up for the past few years. He was apologising for his own losses as well as his brother's, and, as he felt the tightness in his chest unravel, he believed that for the first time, he could finally move on.

Letting go of his brother and climbing up the stairs, Damon shouldered his door shut. Closing the blinds in his room, the dark haired vampire started at Alaric's voice.

"_So you finally told her because you like her…"_ Ric smiled, however also understanding the seriousness of what Damon had just confessed.

"No. Many years ago, I slept with her because I _liked_ her. I _told_ her because I _love_ her, and I thought she deserved to know. You were probably already aware of that though, weren't you, Ric?" Damon huffed, frustrated and angry at the fact that there wasn't a thing about himself or anything going on around him that he truly understood. "She wasn't happy in New Orleans, and god, how I wish she wasn't happy with Klaus. But you know what, Ric? You and I, we're kindred spirits. Abandoned and rejected by the women we chose to love. Unrequited love sucks."

Smiling bitterly, Damon tossed a piece of wood into his fireplace, long unused. Unsure what to do with himself, he began to pace the room, and finally, completely spent, he slowly sank to his knees. "I'm lost, Ric…" He said it so quietly, Alaric wasn't sure if he heard him quite right.

"_Lost, Damon? In case you weren't aware, you're sitting in your very own bedroom, in the house you and your brother have occupied for more than half a decade! You're not lost." _

"Not that kind of lost…" Damon sat up, straightening his back, and looked Alaric straight in the eyes. "I'm lost metaphorically…" Standing up, he looked down at his best friend. "Existentially," he finished quietly, moving to sit on the opposite side of the bed, his own back facing Ric's. Even without seeing his drinking buddy's face, he knew he wore a wide smile.

"_Always the drama queen, Damon."_

Damon couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it :) We'll be updating as soon as we can, but for now, please take the time to review, because they mean so much to us! :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five: Remorse**

******A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed this 100% pure Klaroline chapter, and please keep reading and reviewing! It means a lot to us :) x**

Klaus grinned as he woke up to Caroline tracing patterns on his chest. His heart swelled when she looked up at him, happiness emanating from her brilliant smile. Last night had been their first night together in a long time and now he was finally content to just _be_ there with his wife. They had been apart for so long and he wished that there was nothing keeping them from just _being _with each other. He wished that they could wrap their newfound joy in a present box and carry it back to New Orleans with them. He wished that they could cure Rebekah's illness and forget about the fact that he had _compelled_ his wife. He'd compelled _his Caroline_ to forget about the people she'd loved and cared about.

It was such a _selfish_ thing to do, and yet he had done it anyway. She trusted him to look after her, to be honest with her, yet above all of that was the one action she had trusted he would never take. She had trusted him to _never _rob her of her memories or her choices. He had broken all of her rules, all of the trust their marriage was built on and yet here she was, completely oblivious to his betrayal. In the beginning, when she was still getting used to him, she'd slipped vervain in her tea. He only knew because he could _smell_ it, he could almost _sense_ it there. His experiences with Katerina had taught him to recognise a vampire on vervain. He'd been ecstatic when Caroline had stopped taking the herb, knowing that she _finally_ trusted him enough to discard the one weapon she had against him. Now, he'd ruined all of it. _It was worth it though, _he defended his actions as Caroline pushed herself up to get dressed for the day, _to see her happy again._

Klaus knew that for a long time Caroline had felt hopeless and lonely, even before she'd learnt of Elena's death and Rebekah's illness. He also knew that it was entirely his fault; the husband who'd left her behind so many times, neglecting her, _abandoning_ her. He was supposed to be _with_ her, but instead he'd left her to fend for herself in a city that wasn't her own. _Well, _he decided, _it's time for me to change that. _It was _his_ job to ensure that she was safe and that he was available to her _always, _much like it was _her_ job to show him that she loved him: real love, and not just fake loyalty.

"What are we doing today?" she sat back down beside him on the bed, looking at him with curious brown eyes. She remembered being _miserable_ yesterday but she couldn't quite understand _why. _She remembered that she had been crying and that she thought she was damaged forever and then suddenly the pain was gone, replaced by a melody of contentment and happiness that she was there with him, _her Klaus_.

"Well, love, I thought we could take a little tour around the city. After all, it is the first time you've been here." Klaus' smile widened with Caroline's, as her eyes glimmered in the realisation that they were in _Paris_, _the City of Love._ "After we do that, we have a certain original sister to visit," he spoke cautiously, wondering if it would trigger any negative emotions. In fact, he was almost _hoping_ that mentioning Rebekah would cause Caroline to become despondent. Whilst he knew his compulsion was generally fool proof, deep down he wished that it hadn't worked this time. He wished that by some miracle his horrendous betrayal hadn't actually been true.

To his dismay, Caroline just graced him with a sweet smile saying, "Maybe we should bring her flowers or something? I know she enjoys flowers." He nodded in silent approval while at the same time acknowledging that he would have to come to terms with his decision. He was Niklaus Mikaelson, an ancient, evil vampire who'd _never_ felt remorse. He was not about to fall into the empty abyss of regret, especially over something as petty as this. Klaus almost found humour in the irony of it all. He'd done so many terrible things and he'd never felt remorse for any of it until he finally did something _good_, for someone other than himself. For the first time in eons, he found himself pitying those who dealt with Guilt's rough hands every day.

* * *

Klaus had taken Caroline all over the city, showing her his favourite sites and his favourite artwork. She'd enjoyed walking through the _Arc de Triumphe_ and seeing Klaus' favourite exhibits in _Musée d'Orsay. _It was an interesting experience for her, walking through a non-American city, as she had never strayed too far from her hometown before. Save for New Orleans, a city she still wasn't used to. She was glad Klaus had brought her here. He'd wanted to show her the world and what better place to start than Paris?

Sitting in _Le Cinq_, a restaurant that was _far_ too extravagant for Caroline's taste, she reflected on the beauty of her day with Klaus. It was the first day they had spent together in a long time, and they were in an alluring city he'd dreamed of showing her almost as much as New Orleans.

"Klaus?" She gently nudged him with her boot and smiled as he looked up at her, a wondrous grin on his face. It was the kind of grin only_ she_ received from him. One of his _real _smiles, not the faux ones he gave to everyone else. She was grateful for his honest face, his emotions continuously displayed in his open expressions. For her, his happiness was active proof that he loved her, treasured her above everyone else.

"Why haven't you taken me to the Eiffel Tower?" she mused. She didn't mind that they hadn't been, but she still wondered at why he hadn't wanted to take her to one of the most famous pieces of infrastructure the world had to offer.

"Had a run in with a rather _manipulative_ werewolf there many years ago. Let's just say I didn't appreciate the experience." His smile only widened as she nodded slowly and he watched her roughly wipe her chin with a napkin. She wasn't delicate like most of the girls he had met in his lifetime. Many of them would have _dabbed gently_ at their chins with their napkins, attempting to 'effortlessly' appear as fragile porcelain dolls. It was Caroline's strong will that had captured his heart. He was _disgusted _by fickle girls who worried too much over inconsequential occurrences. They'd not only seemed weak to him, but also petty and desperate, willing to throw themselves at any eligible bachelor who took an interest.

For a moment, Caroline wondered whether she would like the answer to the question she was about to ask. Eventually she decided that it didn't _really_ matter what the answer was, he was her husband now and there was still so much she had yet to learn about him. It was important that she ask.

"And, might I ask, what happened to this werewolf friend of yours?" She leaned across the table towards him, using her body language to show him that she was ready for whatever answer he might have.

His expression turned sombre as he scrutinised her face, ruminating on whether she could handle an honest reply to her question. "I'm not a good person Caroline. Are you sure you -"

"I'm sure", she interjected, nodding at him to let him know that whatever it was, it was _okay_. He steeled himself up for whatever reaction he would receive from his story. Grabbing her hand under the table, he looked over at her and flashed a tiny smile. She squeezed his hand back, reassuring him in his previous decision to _always_ answer her enquiries truthfully.

"Her name was Hayley. Tyler cheated on you once with her, as I'm sure you remember." Caroline scowled in disgust. She'd never wanted to hear _that_ name again. "A while after that, she grew pregnant with child… my child." Caroline looked shocked. She wasn't aware that Klaus could procreate and she knew that this was a story he probably should have told her sooner. Especially when it concerned the one werewolf associated with all of her passionate feelings of hatred and disdain.

_At least he's telling you now_, she reminded herself, determined to allow him to finish without further interruption from her. "We came here for Christmas: her, me, and the baby. I was forced to humour her with all of her requests. Truth be told, she was insufferable, but because she was the mother of my child, Elijah was _set_ on keeping her safe and happy. It was a difficult household to live with, especially when I had to look out for someone I had _no_ friendly feelings for at all. She was an insolent fool, always requesting favours and telling everyone how _horrible_ I was. After a while I guess I'd just had enough of her. We were under that tower when it happened. I ripped my baby from her arms and then I ripped her heart out."

As Klaus ended his story, Caroline had soft tears falling down her cheeks. _How was Klaus supposed to find his redemption now? _He'd killed so many people before, but this incident was by far the worst one Caroline had heard of. Sure, one werewolf was better than twelve hybrids, or the twelve witches she herself had killed, but he was talking about the _mother_ of his _child._ For him to have murdered someone so important simply because she had irked him… _How was he ever going to get through that?_

"And what of the baby?" she whispered sadly to him, words laden with soft, gentle curiosity.

"She's with Elijah. She'll be six years old now. I'd quite like to find her but my _honourable_ brother has been hiding from me." Klaus' words tasted bitter on his tongue. He'd been searching but Elijah had learnt many tricks from his time with Katerina, the elusive doppelgänger who'd been dodging Klaus for far too long.

"You'll see her again someday, don't worry." Caroline tightened her grip on Klaus' hand, trying to lend him some of her strength. Klaus was grateful that she hadn't made a big deal out of the situation, knowing that at this moment he needed _her_, not her negative judgment.

His Caroline was _strong_. He knew that in the end, she was the one girl who could get through almost anything. She'd given him the opportunity to tell her one of his most well-kept secrets. She hadn't forced him to tell her and she hadn't frowned upon him when he did. She was a woman who let him make his own judgments and who, if she had the power to, would never rob him of his will.

Yet he hadn't been able to afford her the same courtesy. He hadn't given her the opportunity to deal with yesterday's grief by herself. He hadn't given her the option of pushing through her latest obstacle using only the power of her strong will. He hadn't _considered_ how much he would take away from her by compelling her to forget the people she loved. Klaus continued to deny the fact that his actions were selfish, but deep down he knew it to be true.

* * *

"Why would you do this, Nik?" Rebekah looked up at him, her face set in an expression that screamed exasperated disappointment. He'd taken away her only _sister_, the first true _friend_ she'd had in a long time. Needless to say, if she wasn't lying on her deathbed, she would have _killed_ him for this. Now, the only thing she could do was appeal to the familial love he had for both her and Caroline.

"It was the right thing to do." His response wasn't good enough for Rebekah. She knew that his words weren't true, even if Klaus thought they were. She knew that he'd probably deluded himself into believing that his actions were justified. She also knew that honourable was not a word that had ever been used to describe Niklaus. _Elijah_ was the honourable brother; Niklaus was the selfish one. He _never_ did anything purely because it _was the right thing to do._

"Comforting her, being there for her, _that_ would have been '_the right thing to do'. _You know as well as I, Nik, that you did this to make it easier for yourself. You're always putting _you_ before everyone else. I swear to God, Niklaus, if you don't fix this _today_ you will lose me, you will lose Caroline, and you'll be back to where you started. The big bad vampire with nobody to love." Physically and emotionally exhausted from her ordeal, Rebekah let herself relax into her pillows, her desperate speech depriving her of the energy she had needed to support her own body. She watched as Klaus' eyes narrowed, his calculating anger directed at her for the first time since she'd gotten sick.

"Don't aggravate me _Rebekah_. I _will not_ take back my actions for a fragile human girl. Even if she is my sister," he growled, words laden with resentment for the girl lying exhausted before him in a hospital bed. Rebekah had always been one to _try_ and order him around, but she knew by now that he'd _never_ give in to her requests, always choosing to show himself off as the alpha male; leader of the original vampire family and the most powerful, indestructible being in existence.

"If you won't do it for me, do it for Caroline. How do you think she'll react when she finds out that you compelled her, hmmm? Best correct your mistake before this gets any worse. My experiences taught me that lesson a long time ago, but for you, this is the first time you've _truly _been in love. Take my advice, Nik. _Fix this now._" He considered his sister's words for a moment, knowing that Rebekah was probably right. Still, he wasn't one to back down out of his decisions, _however wrong he might have been_, and he wasn't about to let all of Caroline's pain come rushing back to her at once.

"She's not going to find out, is she Rebekah?" To many, his words may have sounded like a request, but Rebekah knew that an underlying threat was hidden in his tone of voice. She just looked at him, giving him a weak smirk and a subtle shrug. It was enough though, to imply that she _would not_ let him get away with his mind games.

In a flash he was standing by her bedside, cupping her chin in his hands and forcing her to look up at him. His pupils dilated, much like they had when he'd done this for Caroline. With Rebekah, however, there was no moment where he doubted his decision. "You don't care that I compelled Caroline. In fact, you think it's the best thing for her."

She sat back with a glazed over expression. "I don't care that you compelled Caroline. I think that _I'm on vervain and you need to apologise for trying to compel me._" As her tone quickly drifted from one which was distant to one which was absolutely furious, Klaus moved away from his sister, a shocked expression on his face. "Oh and for the record, _brother_, I _do_ care that you compelled her. _You_ should too. Or maybe you're still just the heartless bastard you were for over 1000 years. I thought you'd changed Nik, but I guess saving yourself was just too much _effort_."

Rebekah sneered at him, angry at the fact that her _brother_ had not only compelled his wife but was now trying to compel _her_, his cancerous sister who only had a few months to live. She'd thought that Caroline had taught him how to love, how to use that slow beating heart of his. Instead, he was still self-centred. _What did she expect after a millennium of selfishness?_ She was grateful that Xander had insisted on her drinking vervain tea, knowing that she would be vulnerable now that she was human. She may have left her years as a vampire behind, but she couldn't shake her enemies, and her illness made her relatively defenceless against her stronger counterparts.

"Damn you Rebekah." Nik looked _murderous_ and she knew that he kept himself from snapping at her only because he was aware she no longer had the energy to fight with him. She only smiled at him, happy in the knowledge that her mind was safe. She would deal with the Caroline situation. If Nik wouldn't fix his own mistake, she would hint at it until Caroline realised what he'd done. Nik was her brother and she didn't want to hurt him, but at the same time Caroline was her friend, _her sister_, and she wouldn't try to deceive her by neglecting to tell her of Klaus' betrayal.

"The tension is thick in this room." Klaus looked away from his sister as his wife's sweet voice floated through the doorway, his face quickly morphing from an infuriated grimace to a strained smile. "What's going on? I thought you two were on good terms now…" Caroline gave them both a confused stare as she tried to decipher the reason behind the obvious rift between the two siblings. Xander followed closely behind her through the door, also looking muddled by Klaus and Rebekah's estranged stances. He gave Rebekah a questioning look, growing even more puzzled when she didn't even spare him a glance.

"Ask my brother. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you. Almost as happy as he'd be to compel you both to forget it all afterwards." Caroline didn't miss the angry tone dripping from Rebekah's pale, peeling lips. Her words led Caroline to become even more perplexed than she already was. She _knew _that Niklaus would never _dare_ to compel her. She'd made it clear that compulsion would be the greatest betrayal. He wouldn't jeopardise their relationship by taking her choices and thoughts away from her. _Surely he loved her too much to do that. He loved her too much to rob her of herself._

Sadly, Caroline was wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six: Driven**

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave reviews, and by the way *boot is the Australian version of the trunk of a car (it comes up at some point, just for future reference) :) xx**

Stefan could hear Damon's footsteps pacing in his room, and his brother's voice speaking in desperate tones. Stefan frowned, eyebrows knitting together. As far as he knew, it was just him and Damon in the boarding house, and no one else should've been there. He contemplated the idea that his brother was speaking on his cellphone, but there it was, lying on the side table in the living room. Deciding that he had had enough of secrecy and the enigmatic happenings left unsaid during his and Damon's brief chat, he traced Damon's steps up the wooden staircase, and stood behind the door, listening for a second voice in response to his brother's.

"_Not that kind of lost…_" He heard Damon's voice, and it surprised him at how broken and hopeless he sounded. "_I'm lost metaphorically…existentially._" Stefan heard his brother walking across the room, and the faint creaking of the bed as he sat down. He knew this seemingly one sided conversation had been taking place for longer than what he had eavesdropped on, but there were no contextual clues that alluded to whom Damon was speaking to.

Pushing the door open more roughly than intended, Stefan's eyes quickly darted around the room, searching for a possible threat or second person in the room. The only '_non-living living'_ thing there was the dark haired vampire, his older half, smiling to himself.

"Damon?" Damon didn't even move, and gave no sign that he'd heard Stefan come in.

"_Damon!"_

"I would have expected that after all these years, you'd have the common sense to let me be. What are you doing here, little brother?"

Stefan sighed, and shook his head. Why did his brother have to be so difficult? "I could ask you the same question, but I'm pretty sure your answer would consist of a single name: Caroline."

Damon's eyes narrowed dangerously, and silently begged Stefan not to push it. The older vampire was distracted, and needed the time to sort out his feelings _alone_, and not to have to respond to questions he himself was figuring out how to answer. In all honesty, he didn't think he would be able to love again in Elena's absence, but he was proven wrong by his subconscious mind demanding him to _feel. _

"I suggest you leave _right now_. The fact that you're my brother won't stop me from killing you." Damon's voice was dead quiet, but that didn't stop the words he spoke from being laced with bitter resentment. Ever since he was turned, the animosity between the two brothers had grown, and now it seemed that their link was irreparable. However, despite all the deep rooted hatred and bitterness between them, both brothers knew that no matter the circumstance, they had each other's back.

Stefan was looking at him, and his expression changed from one of belligerence, to one of bitter anger, and...was that fear?

The brotherly part of Damon wanted to apologise and try to set their relationship right, but the part of him that had been set on making Stefan's life an eternal living purgatory fought back, and as usual, it was the side that won out.

Damon, provoked by Stefan's lack of movement, sneered, "I would've thought that even _you_ could understand such a simple sentence. Do I need to make it _simpler_ for you?"

"You know why I don't leave. You can pretend all you want that you don't care, and hell, you could fool everyone." Stefan took a few tentative steps forward, knowing full well that Damon was volatile, and potentially dangerous. "But I know different…" The younger Salvatore knew that at this point he probably would have been kinder to leave Damon to his thoughts, but Stefan wasn't in a particularly charitable mood.

"Well then, that makes you the biggest idiot of them all," Damon hissed, deciding to take his own leave. Roughly shouldering past Stefan, Damon pulling a jacket off of the nearby vintage coat hanger, and made his way downstairs, hearing, to his relief, that Stefan did not pursue.

* * *

Damon paced restlessly. He had a memory that felt more like a dream floating around in his head, and it haunted him. It was of Elena relinquishing her life to the depths of the river, never to be seen again. It wasn't in any case the best of endings to their relationship. He could still see her body, skin as cold as ice and face pale, lips turning blue. He couldn't get the picture out of his mind of how she looked, limp in his arms, unstaring chocolate brown eyes.

Hearing Alaric's intake of breath before he spoke, Damon threw his head back and groaned.

"What is it this time, Ric?" He turned on his heel to face the deceased vampire hunter, mentally preparing himself for whatever lecture on his wellbeing and behaviour he would get.

"_This may come as a bit of a shock, but I'm not here to hang out with you. I'm here to tell you that you need to try to understand what's going on inside your own head. Shutting yourself out is a little unhealthy…"_

"Look, Ric, I don't wanna spend my life searching for answers I don't really want." The dark haired vampire had all his attention set on a bent tin can, and made a game of kicking it through the long and untrimmed strands of unkempt grass. Alaric was beginning to get on his nerves with all this 'soul-searching crap' that was being brought to the table, and Damon just wished he would leave him alone. Damon wasn't even sure why he kept talking to Alaric, and why he could even see him in the first place. The part-time vampire slayer had passed away around the same time as Elena, courtesy of the Gilbert ring he wore. Though it had saved his life many times, Ric had slowly gone insane and had eventually succumbed to death's fatal grasp.

"_I'm your friend, dammit, and to be honest, you don't exactly have any friends, so come on. You either tell me, or tell yourself." _Ric crossed his arms, rooting himself in place. He thought this important. All Damon had done since Elena's passing was spend his time under a cloud of doom and disaster, and it was time, no matter how painful, to move on with his life, and find other people to love. Alaric wasn't about to tell him to forget, but he was about to tell him to get over it. He wasn't about to let his partner in crime spend an eternity wallowing in self pity.

Damon was fighting a war. A part of him wanted to confess everything to Caroline, and to disclose all his profound feelings for her, but deep inside he knew it was wrong. Caroline and Klaus were _married, _and he had _no right_ to take that away from them, no matter how much he resented Klaus. He smiled quietly to himself, letting the other side of him, the side that didn't care to maintain any form of responsibility over his actions, lead him in the right, or _wrong_, direction.

Knowing his drinking buddy well enough to understand what was going on in his head, he sighed, and took a look at his surroundings. They were familiar enough to him, though he hadn't spent a lot of his time here in the past. The grass was so lush and green, it seemed absurd. A few park benches were scattered around the perimeter of the area, tucked under low hanging trees, and would seem inviting to anyone wanting to escape the sun. Suddenly snapped out of his reverie, he was aware of Damon talking slow but deliberate steps towards him.

"Look, if I'm going to do this, it'll be on my own terms. Capeesh?"

Alaric grinned, "_Look at you, putting the pieces together_."

Rolling his eyes, Damon brushed past Alaric, and went to reach inside his coat pocket for his cell phone, only to realise that it wasn't there. Breathing in deeply and exhaling all the way out, Damon turned on his heel and made his aim the boarding house.

* * *

A loud bang shook the house as the large front door was slammed open, its inconsiderate owner rushing through the house, desperately searching for the one thing that would set his hurricane of a mind at a standstill. Growling in frustration, Damon searched the whole bottom floor, becoming significantly more agitated as he realised it wasn't where he left it.

"Looking for this?"

Dangling his brother's phone from one hand, Stefan took the two steps leading down into the main living area swiftly, and tossed it to Damon.

Not even bothering with a thank you, or any other form of acknowledgment, Damon entered his time-honoured bedroom, and promptly opened up his contacts list, scrolling down to Caroline's name, and paused. Biting his lip, he faintly registered that his hand was shaking. Wavering on the brink of what he felt might be a hysterical breakdown, he made a decision that would shape the next few months of his life.

Pressing the phone to his ear, he waited impatiently, foot tapping restlessly on the hardwood floor. It rang once. Then twice. Thrice. On the sixth ring, he heard Caroline's voice, but was disappointed to hear that it was her voicemail. Resolving that he realistically wouldn't have the motivation or heart to do this later, he faintly heard the beep signalling the start of his message recording. Feeling his mouth moving, but not recognising the words he spoke, he started.

"Caroline. I'm going to get straight to the point here, because everything I'm about to say could be some of the most selfish things I've ever said... but I need you to hear me out."

He took a deep breath and braced himself, unsure of how he would say what he needed to say, but he didn't need to worry. The words flowed out of his mouth as easily as breathing.

"I'm in love with a woman I can never have. I can never have her because she's happy, and married, and should be living a life completely free of me...but as you know, I'm a selfish person and I do and say things, make decisions, that I shouldn't. Here I am, making another one. The point is, I'm in love with you, and it's driving me insane, and I'm not in control anymore."

He paused, taken aback at what he was about to say before he even said it.

"And that is why, Caroline, I'm coming to New Orleans."

Before he could say anything else he would regret, he hung up. Closing his eyes, he took a few steps backwards and collapsed across the bed. Staring up blankly at the ceiling, he felt lethargic and exhausted emotionally. Closing his eyes, he drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

Damon awoke to the silhouette of his brother leaning in the doorway and the jingle of his car keys, belonging to a 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible.

"Pack your bags, brother, we're going to New Orleans."

Stefan swung open the closet doors and began throwing items of clothing haphazardly into the relatively unused duffel bag. "I heard your message to Caroline," Stefan smirked, giving his brother a sidelong glance. "And I'm coming with you." The younger Salvatore flung the bag, now excessively filled with various articles of clothing, shoes, and a few blood bags brought up during a quick trip to the basement, onto the bed where Damon no longer lay. "Meet me out the front when you're ready," he called over his shoulder.

Promptly changing out of his now wrinkled clothes, Damon grabbed one of his iconic black shirts and a loose fitting pair of jeans and swung the bag over his shoulder, nearly flying down the stairs, driven by nothing but raw emotion.

Not even bothering to open the boot* of the Chevy, Damon tossed his belongings into the back seat, sliding in next to his brother, for once not positioned at the wheel.

Engine sputtering for a fraction of a second, they turned onto the road, and following it, they passed into the highway that would take them to New Orleans.

* * *

The sun had begun to set when Stefan and Damon took note of the _Approaching - 5km to New Orleans_ sign, set high above the freeway that they now occupied.

"So, where're you planning on meeting her?" Stefan queried, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had possessed the car over the past few hours.

The only affirmation Stefan received that Damon had heard was the raise of a dark eyebrow, and the stillness in the car ensued.

* * *

Finally pulling into Iberville Street, home of the Hyatt French Quarter hotel, Stefan turned the key out of the ignition, and brought out his wallet, preparing to fork out any denomination of money necessary to pay for their stay in New Orleans.

Bringing their bags into the lobby of the Hyatt, Damon let his younger brother take care of the basic transactions and made himself comfortable on the bright red velvet love chair. Impatiently checking his phone for any missed calls or messages, Damon was discouraged to see that Caroline had not left any form of reply.

"Look, we only want to stay here for a couple of nights. I'm not seeing the problem here." Stefan's voice echoed, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, sir, but personal ID is required to check-in."

Heaving a deep sigh, Stefan strode over to his older brother, and whispered promptly in his ear. "For once, I need you to forget everything I've ever told you and compel the receptionist to let us in for a few nights."

Taking the invitation, Damon purposefully approached the main desk, and looked the man deep in the eyes. Bright blue orbs met chocolate brown ones, and, eyes dilating as he spoke, Damon went on to convince the man that no ID was required to enter the hotel, and that two card keys would be handed over, no questions asked.

"Excuse me, sir, but I suggest you don't try to compel my family. Unless you're an original it won't work, I'm afraid."

Blinking, dazed, Damon's eyes narrowed. He vaguely registered a figure striding towards him, quickly, but leisurely. Turning around to take in the new arrival, the older Salvatore glanced him up and down, noting that the man was indeed a vampire, and a well-to-do one at that.

Hand extending in a welcoming gesture, the dark-skinned vampire smiled, introducing himself.

"I'm Marcel, and you're currently in my city."

**[edit] A/N: We may not be able to update as frequently as one of us will be on the away for a time. We'll do our best to be quick, but just in case anyone is wondering why our updates are taking a while, we haven't abandoned you :) In the mean time, here's a quick sneak peek of the next chapter ;)**

_"Now, now, sweetheart. Let's not get too hasty. That's an antique carpet from the 1880s and if you haven't noticed, it's white. I would much prefer that you bleed yourself to death in the kitchen. I find that the tiles in there are rather unpleasant and I'd like an excuse to replace them. By all means, make your mess, but please take it elsewhere." Klaus' smirk only grew wider as Caroline grew more and more irritated with him. He was always unperturbed in these situations, continuously meeting every event with tenacious sarcasm. Here she was, again trying to think of some way to rid them of the new difficulty Damon had created in their lives, and all Klaus could do was joke about it. Granted, he did not know what was going on, but she still desired that he'd take her personal dilemmas more seriously._

_Whilst she didn't want Damon's attention, the voicemail he'd left her had all the facts right. He was selfish, he was making a bad decision, and he would never have her. However, despite the veracity of his words, he was still wrong about one thing. He'd told her she was happy. The truth was, Caroline wasn't happy, and she had no idea why she felt like she would never be again._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven: Confessions**

"_And that is why, Caroline, I'm coming to New Orleans."_

Caroline's hands shook violently as she gasped and dropped the phone, taken aback by Damon's love confession. The air escaped her as she staggered backwards, seating herself on the edge of the closest chair. _"This can't be true. It's just a nightmare, Caroline. Soon you'll wake up and he won't love you anymore," _she prayed, attempting to swallow the dryness in her throat. Damon _knew_ that she was married, that she was _happy_, and yet he had still decided that he now _loved_ her.

"No no no no no…" a constant stream of denials became her mantra as she stared pensively at the floor. Back when she'd known him, the older vampire had _used_ her, _abused_ her, and she hadn't exactly appreciated his initial efforts to murder all of her friends. Whilst she knew she had a knack for overcoming these circumstances — as she had previously done with Klaus — she hadn't seen Damon in _years._ She couldn't fathom that he could even feel _friendship_ towards her, let alone _love. _Her feelings for him were purely platonic, verging on the edge of what she had believed to be a mutual dislike. His admittance to his affection for her not only made her uncomfortable, but also complicated her already exhausting relationship with Klaus.

"Caroline, _love_, whilst I appreciate that 'no' is a very sophisticated and elegant word, your new-found obsession with the term is tempting me to rip my own ears off. I suggest that you either find a different expression to satisfy your voice or find an alternative way to use that pretty little mouth of yours. You'll soon realise I have a few ideas for that last recommendation." Caroline's eyes flashed up, her mind immediately registering her husband's speech. She responded to his words by shaking her head at him, attempting to indicate that she was in no mood for his badly timed sarcasm. Much to her annoyance he only winked at her, a sardonic smile sneaking onto his face.

Not now, Klaus," she sighed, placing her head in her hands. She dug her nails into her forehead, her hands trying to claw Damon's confession out of her memory. When he saw blood dripping from her nails onto the floor, Klaus imprisoned her hands, holding them tightly against his chest.

"Now, now, sweetheart. Let's not get too hasty. That's an antique carpet from the 1880s and if you haven't noticed, it's white. I would much prefer that you bleed yourself to death in the kitchen. I find that the tiles in there are rather unpleasant and I'd like an excuse to replace them. By all means, make your mess, but please take it elsewhere." Klaus' smirk only grew wider as Caroline grew more and more irritated with him. He was always unperturbed in these situations, continuously meeting every event with tenacious sarcasm. Here she was, again trying to think of some way to rid them of the new difficulty Damon had created in their lives, and all Klaus could do was _joke_ about it. Granted, he did not know what was going on, but she still desired that he'd take her personal dilemmas more seriously.

Whilst she didn't want Damon's attention, the voicemail he'd left her had all the facts right. He _was_ selfish, he _was _making a bad decision, and he would _never_ have her. However, despite the veracity of his words, he was still wrong about one thing. He'd told her she was _happy._ The truth was, Caroline wasn't happy, and she had no idea why she felt like she would never be again.

Klaus' playful smirk quickly dropped when he suddenly noticed a malicious maelstrom thundering through Caroline's eyes, obliterating the stars that had always resided there even in daylight. He quickly adopted a more serious countenance, continuing to intertwine their hands on his chest.

"Love, dealing with your personal issues wasn't exactly on my itinerary for today. However, since it's you, I'll make an exception and elevate your fickle drama to the top of my priorities. Caroline, would you care to tell me what's going on?" Klaus moved one of his hands to her face, keeping the other one wrapped around both of her hands on his chest. When her eyes shifted away from him, he moved his other hand to her cheek, forcing her to look at him. _"What's wrong, love?"_ His voice was gentle and soft as he attempted to coax the issue out of her. Confusion and hurt drilled into Klaus' heart when Caroline attempted to look away from him again, shame now inhabiting her pupils.

"Caroline,_ sweetheart," _Klaus said, his words becoming a little more forceful, "I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong." He watched her closely as she wordlessly tugged her hands out of his grasp, reaching for her phone on the floor. Knowing she would probably regret this decision later, she found Damon's message and passed the phone to Klaus. Caroline moved to the opposite side of the room: not just to get away from his inevitable anger but also to hide from the possibility of having to listen to the recording again. She only heard snippets of Damon's confession as she wearily watched Klaus' face slowly becoming adorned with a furious frown.

She winced when she heard her phone smashing against the wall above her, a million tiny pieces of glass raining on her head in an idealised dance, sharpened with exquisite and fastidious pain. When she looked down she saw the small, sparkling shards embedded into her skin, coupling with her blood in a distinctive design of terrorised beauty. Hot, wet tears followed, joining the sharp and fiery dance initiated by her blood and the glass. _None of this was her fault._ Klaus had never been an abusive husband. When he'd expressed anger towards her in the past it had been in calm yet overly sarcastic tones, his displeasure shining through the expression on his face and the sound of his voice.

In a flash he was in front of her, hastily removing as many shards of glass from her body as he could. "Love I'm sorry." His voice was panicky and shaky, as if he hadn't known what the consequences of his action would be. "My attentions were focused on Damon Salvatore's message and I failed to realise that you had moved. I believed you to be beside me and, in order to quell some of my anger, I threw the offending object without considering where I had thrown it." Both Klaus' voice and face had become more desperate, begging her to believe that he hadn't known she was there, _praying_ that she believed he would never intentionally hurt her.

Caroline hissed as he yanked a particularly large piece of glass out of her cheek. "Caroline, sweetheart, forgive me. Please. I promise it was an unintentional offence." She noticed that his tone had evolved to sound more deliberate, determined to make her understand that he needed her to redeem him from his accidental violence.

She attempted a small smile, but only managed a weak grimace as he continued to quickly wrench out the shards of glass dotting her skin. "_Perhaps_ I will forgive you, but only on three conditions." Klaus paused for only a moment to raise his eyebrow at her before continuing on with his glass-removal mission. _"Firstly, you owe me a new phone."_ He gave a slight nod, glad that this first request was simple and one which would have been completed even if she had neglected to demand it from him. _"Secondly, we relocate to New Orleans as soon as possible. We need to be there when Damon arrives."_ Caroline evaluated Klaus' face, shrinking away from him slightly when his eyes narrowed a little. _"And as for my last condition. When I go see Damon, and I will see Damon, I will go alone. No escorts. No spies. No over-protective husband to watch over me. Just me, by myself."_ She knew that this would be the hardest condition for Klaus to come to terms with, but she knew that when she went to speak with Damon she would need to face him _alone_.

"Love, I can condone the first two, but I _will not_ tolerate your last request." Klaus looked her straight in the eye as he pulled the last glass fragment out of her now torn and tattered arm. Caroline felt her anger rising, her blood beginning to boil as her eyes became narrow slits.

"You _will_ tolerate it and you _will_ respect my choices, _Niklaus._ I am a grown woman who makes her own decisions. You've _forced_ me to make my own decisions for our whole married life! You've been there for how long? Four or five months in the last three years? Don't tell me that after _all_ that time I've spend alone, you've finally decided to step in and control me because it _suits_ you. I'm going to see Damon, _alone_, and that is final." Caroline had discovered that the only way to deal with Klaus' anger was to respond to it with her own stubborn fire. Eventually, he would grow tired of arguing with her. He loved her too much to quarrel with her for long and she knew that he'd soon give in. She was surprised, however, when he was a lot easier to convince than she'd originally expected. She watched as his eyes softened, the anger on his face now replaced by worried distrust.

"The Salvatore brothers are highly talented in seducing women who are already spoken for. How can I be sure, Caroline, that all you will be doing is _talking_?" Caroline was saddened that her husband's trust issues had again resurfaced. She'd thought that he'd realised that love meant loyalty and she was not the type of person who would be unfaithful to anyone she was with, let alone her _husband._

"Niklaus, there is nothing to worry about. I had Damon a long time before I had you, but I chose to leave him because he was controlling, he was cowardly, and he _didn't_ love me. When I married you I made a choice. I chose to be with _you_, and _only_ you. I love _you_, Niklaus. Do you understand what that means? I means that I chose _you_ over the other 7 billion people in the world. It means that I decided to remain by _your_ side always, even in times when we have no hope. It means that I chose to _fight for you_ until the very end. It means that I chose to be loyal, faithful to only _you_ for an eternity. It means that I love you, _all of you_. The good side _and_ the bad. It means that no matter what Damon tells me, no matter what he decides to do, he will _never_ take away how we feel about each other. _Nobody_ can take any of this away from you. I've given you _everything_ I have. And if that's still not enough for you, Niklaus, then I really don't know what is."

She watched him slowly nod his head and bring his defeated eyes back to hers. He softly pressed his gentle lips to hers, using the gesture to show her that he was grateful for her heart-felt speech.

"Then, love," he said slowly, quietly, still unable to fully process the sentiment behind her words. "We'd better collect my sister. It's time we returned to New Orleans."

* * *

"_I'm Marcel, and you're currently in my city."_ Disregarding Marcel's handshake scornfully, Damon turned and bent down to pick up their bags.

"Come on brother, we're obviously not welcome here." The dark haired vampire's lips curled up in a scowl, not pleased but also unsurprised at how things turned out. Having lived in New Orleans in the past, Damon was accustomed to the heavy supernatural activity throughout the city and he expected that they run into a little bit of trouble here and there. Mindful of the fact that the entire staff of this hotel were probably vampires, Damon, attempting diplomacy, reached into his wallet and took out a sum of cash, shoving it into Marcel's chinos. "Let's get the hell out of here, before he changes his mind," he whispered to Stefan as he made to walk out. Stefan, acknowledging Damon with a nod, knelt to gather his belongings, but a firm grasp on his elbow hindered his efforts.

Dropping the formalities, Marcel frowned, "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to leave." With a scarce flick of his chin, three more of the dark-skinned vampire's men surrounded Stefan, two securing his arms and the last blocking him off from Damon's view. The older Salvatore forgot completely about leaving the building. He wouldn't leave without his brother, but the rational part of his mind knew that starting a fight now would result in far too many casualties, including both Stefan and himself.

Hands facing upwards, Damon stepped forward cautiously, aware of the fact that there were more of his immortal kind hiding in every corner, braced and ready to pounce at any sign of a threat. "Look, we didn't come here to cause trouble. Just. Let. Us. Go." Damon emphasized every last syllable, trying to convince Marcel and every soul standing in the room that a conflict wasn't necessary; ironic, as Damon was usually the one to initiate dispute.

"Take him inside." Marcel's eyes were cold and uncaring, not even looking as Stefan was pulled away behind him, and down into the dark corridors leading to passageways below the ground floor of the hotel.

Damon, no longer able to contain his anger, allowed his fangs to tear through his gums as dark veins swelled and emerged just beneath his skin. Noticing the signs of an imminent threat, Marcel's men pounced upon the oldest Salvatore brother, making futile attempts to hold him down. Limbs flailing in a complex series of movements, Damon shook off each attempt to quell his feral rage. In what seemed like no time at all, his hands closed around Marcel's neck, fingers digging into dark skin. Blood flowed down from the wound, staining a mesmerizing tapestry in its wake. Damon's attention was momentarily ensnared by the twisted spectacle, and for one insipid moment he forgot his intentions to tear out the other vampire's throat. That one moment of hesitation, that one moment of ensnared attention, almost cost Damon his life.

Body lurching forward and contorting like a sick marionette, Damon's knees buckled and he sank slowly to the floor, dark blood staining his midnight black shirt, a gaping hole torn out the back. Falling backwards more rapidly than expected, Damon's head hit the marble tiles, black spots dancing before his eyes.

Using Damon's shoulders as a brace, Marcel wrapped his fingers around the stake, driving it deeper once more before wrenching it out and wiping the residual blood onto his jacket.

"I had hoped to interact with you in a more civilised manner. Had you not been so disrespectful, perhaps that may have been a possibility." Marcel's grin was infuriating, and along with the black swimming across his vision, red stained Damon's line of sight.

Unable to fight the darkness that craved to consume him, a faint ringing in his ears faded slowly, and he was briefly aware that it was coming from the phone he scarcely knew was held in his hand.

* * *

Small rays of light snaked in through the barred window, rudely awakening the older Salvatore. It wasn't only the harsh brightness assaulting his eyes, but also the deep burning that spread through his fingers. Damon quickly withdrew his arm, bringing it into the shadows as he slowly put the pieces together. He remembered what happened the night before, and he panicked for a moment, realising that he had absolutely no idea where his brother was. Wincing slightly, he pushed himself up against the cold and dreary cement walls, stained with years of graffiti, dirt, and dried blood. Finally accepting the fact that he was imprisoned at the bottom of the Hyatt, the first thought that came to his mind in order to escape was to break through the window's bars. Mentally shaking his head, he remembered that he no longer had his daylight ring on him, and attempting to do so would result in him bursting into a column of flames. Sighing deeply, he knew he was going to be held up for a long while. That, at least, was what he thought until he heard a phone ringing. Patting himself down, the familiar lump of his cell phone was nowhere to be found. Disgruntled, he stood up and began to pace behind the iron bars, hearing the phone - _his _phone - ringing over and over again. Stopping in his tracks, the ringing resounded throughout the cracked stone hallways, sound slightly muffled by the thick moss and mildew, courtesy of small droplets of water raining down from the ceiling. Damon looked up, hearing footsteps pause in the front of his cell.

"This," Marcel brought up his hand, holding Damon's phone lightly between two fingers, "has been going off all night. It's beginning to get on my nerves…" His polite smile turned into a scowl. "Let's put an end to it, shall we?"

Finally, the ringing ceased. Damon had a faint glance of the caller ID, and was confused to see that it was a private number.

Adopting a much friendlier façade, Marcel spoke. "Marcel here. May I ask who is speaking?"

Only hearing mumbling on the other side of the line, Damon turned his back to Marcel and faced the wall. Freezing in place, he heard something that perplexed him, yet at the same time evoked some of the happiest emotions he's felt in a long time.

"Oh, hello, Caroline! So nice of you to call." Damon turned quickly, noticing as Marcel's face paled in realisation as the mumbling on the other side of the phone continued.

"Oh...I wasn't aware you were acquainted with Damon. He's um… a bit held up at the moment." Marcel continued to listen to the faint voice on the other end of the phone as his eyes became more and more worried, quickly becoming filled with trepidation.

Without another word, Marcel unlocked Damon's cell, thereby letting him free, and wordlessly handed the phone back, pointing him up the stairs. There was still no sign of Stefan.

**A/N: ****Sorry for the long wait guys! One of us is on vacation so it'll take a while longer for updates :) Anyways, we hope you enjoy the new chapter! Also, look out for our Christmas time one-shot called 'Infinite', which will be up really soon! Thank you for reading and please review! Everyone's support is very much appreciated x**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight: Alliances**

**A/N: Finally a new chapter for you all :) If you haven't already, please read 'Infinite', the new one shot on our page! It's set _pre-New_ Orleans, and it mainly revolves around Klaroline. Also, look out for 'Serendipity', a new one-shot coming out around New Years! It's also set _pre-Requiem (previously known as New Orleans)_ and instead is based around Delena. Anywho, we hope you enjoy this next chapter we've finished, and please review, because it means so much to us :) x**

Caroline had been calling Damon all night from Klaus' phone. Needless to say, Klaus had been a little frustrated by her resolve. He didn't understand _why_ she had to contact Damon so urgently. They'd only arrived in New Orleans a few hours before the endless calling started and he had wanted to prolong Damon and Caroline's meeting for as long as possible.

"Love, no one's answering. Why don't you give that to me and we can go do something that doesn't make me want to murder 50 innocent people for fun." Klaus looked up from the newspaper he was looking at, only to see Caroline briefly move her eyes towards him in a short glare before returning back to her phone. She rang Damon over and over and over again until there was finally a response.

"_Marcel here. May I ask who is speaking?"_ She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, before looking over at Klaus and mouthing, _'What did you do?'_ His only response was to shrug his shoulders at her with a mocking smile before continuing to 'read' his newspaper.

"It's Caroline," she snapped through the phone. "Where's Damon? I need to talk to him _now._" Marcel was her friend and she didn't like to speak irritably with him, however, she'd been calling Damon all night and her patience was at an all-time low.

"_Oh, hello Caroline! So nice of you to call."_ Caroline grew even more irritated when Marcel refused to acknowledge her question. From her previous experiences with him, she knew that this meant that Damon was with Marcel, most likely imprisoned in one of their many holding cells beneath the city.

"Look Marcel, I've had enough of the niceties for today. I've been calling all night and I need to speak to my friend. Give the phone to Damon, please." Her voice was quickly becoming dangerous, and Klaus noticed that it was slowly becoming ringed with resentment. He only smiled wider as he continued to listen into the conversation, amused that for once, his wife's anger was aimed at someone other than himself.

"_Oh… I wasn't aware you_ _were acquainted with Damon. He's um… a bit held up at the moment." _Klaus held in a laugh as Caroline stomped her foot on the ground in frustration, her eyes narrowing into angry slits. Her gaze switched over to him, as she threw a hand up in exasperation. He smirked and rolled his eyes before blurring across the room and snatching his phone from her hand.

"Hello, Marcel. Have you been enjoying your time ruling New Orleans without me? Unfortunately for you, I'm back now and I have a very _temperamental_ wife on my hands. It would be preferable if she wasn't provoked into destroying my apartment so I suggest you give the phone to Damon before _anyone_ gets hurt." When he was met with more silence, he growled quietly before hissing, "Need I remind you who has the power here? Do you want to contest me and go back to being my enemy? If so, I'm more than happy to oblige."

Klaus heard fumbling on the other end of the line, as footsteps echoed through the phone. "Caroline?" Damon's voice finally made its way through the receiver, full of nervous anticipation.

"It's Klaus if you _wouldn't _mind, although I agree that Caroline is a lovely name. Now I'm under the impression that my wife wishes to speak to you because you've confessed your love for her. Let me make one thing clear. She is-"

Klaus' speech was cut short when Caroline snatched his phone from his hands, simultaneously hitting him upside the head. "Klaus." Her voice had a feeling of finality and Klaus gave in, shrugging playfully as he moved away.

"Damon, we need to talk. Meet me in the French Quarter: Klaus' office is there. I'll send some of Klaus' men over to show you the way. Tell me if they're not polite and he'll deal with them. I'll be there in half an hour."

Her words were choppy and sharp, so professional that Damon felt as though he was talking to a machine rather than Caroline herself. She hung up on him before he had the time to grumble a reply.

* * *

Sitting across from Damon in her husband's office, Caroline mindlessly played with the tips of her fingers. She'd had so much to tell him before, but now that he was right in front of her she was at a loss for words. She had no idea how she could possibly convey how _inappropriate_ his affections were, how _difficult_ and _destructive_ they would be. She was _in love_ with Klaus, and although he'd made her unhappy and endlessly strived to irritate her, she still wanted to give him a chance. Give their marriage a chance. If she gave up and ran away with Damon, sure, there would be no chance of her marriage getting worse, but it would never get better either.

"Look, Caroline…" Damon started, but Caroline had finally found her voice too and interrupted his ensuing speech.

"Do you know how _inappropriate_ you're being? How _untimely_ this is? I'm _married_ Damon, _in love with someone who isn't you._ What right have you got to come in here and try to destroy my marriage? What do you want me to do, huh? _Cheat _with you? Because I won't do it, I don't _want _to do it. I think you already knew that though. So why are you here?" She continued to stare across the desk at Damon, his furrowed eyebrows the only indication that he was in any pain at all.

"_Let me finish." _Damon gritted his teeth, impatient. He didn't come here to get berated by Caroline, but to clarify his feelings for her, and see if they were at all reciprocated. Obviously they weren't. "I don't really want to have this conversation right now, Caroline. I didn't drive my ass all the way to New Orleans to hear about your love life with Klaus. In fact, it makes me sick. And right now, I need you to figure out where the hell my brother is."Leaning back and crossing his arms, Damon opened his mouth to continue.

Caroline slammed her hand down on the table, fed up with Damon's attempts to avoid the subject. "Dammit, Damon! You can't just tell a married woman that you love her and then say that you don't want to have this conver-"

"Marcel has Stefan." Damon looked straight into Caroline's eyes, stone-like features spreading across his face as though his heart had completely stopped, no longer pushing all the bottled up emotions through his body. For a moment she was speechless, not expecting the latest turn in events. She sighed, hoping desperately that her best friend was still alive and in one piece. Reaching for the phone on the desk, she called Niklaus, smiling briefly when he picked up on the first ring.

"_If he's done anything to you, love, I'll…" _Klaus started, a worried jealousy marring his voice.

"I'm fine, Klaus, but I'm not so sure about Stefan. Apparently Marcel has him and he didn't tell us. Can you go deal with it?" Hearing a begrudging sigh, she hung up the phone, knowing that her husband would take care of the situation. Stefan was an old friend of his and he resented every move Marcel made without consulting him or Caroline first. Damon gave her a dubious look, obviously doubting the idea that it could actually be _that_ easy.

"There, Damon, Klaus is handling the issue and Stefan will be fine." She barred the worry from her tone, knowing that if Damon sensed her anxiety, they would both be in trouble. "I'm hoping there aren't any more issues that need to be dealt with because we _really_ need to talk."

"I didn't know what I expected when I came back here to New Orleans, but it certainly wasn't this. When I came back to Mystic Falls, I'd _always_ done the wrong thing by Elena, and now she's dead. Now here I am, doing the wrong thing by you. In fact, I don't even know _why_ I came in the first place. You're _Caroline_, now married to the most powerful Original vampire hybrid on the planet." He paused for a moment. Not aware that he was going off on a tangent that released everything he'd been feeling since Elena's death, he continued, tone getting more and more agitated. "I wasn't right for Elena, and I was selfish with her. I didn't deserve her, and least of all you. Look, Caroline. I don't know what you want me to tell you, or what you want me to do, but I'm not leaving. I'm not expecting _anything_ from you, but when your Original hybrid boyfriend leaves you again, I'll be waiting. I have to start doing the right thing, and it starts with you. Even if it means I stay here as your friend. I'm not giving up on the possibility of _us._ When Klaus leaves you, and he will because it's what he does, it'll be my turn."

Damon's eyes closed as he breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. He'd felt so unstable lately, so out of control. He needed to move on from Elena's death. Although she was dead, he was not, and he needed to live his life. If Caroline was the one who could heal him, then so be it, even if they could only be friends. The hope he was harbouring led him to believe that one day she might somehow reciprocate his love, and it was far-fetched, he knew, but it was the only emotion that could pull him from his cage of self-pity.

"_What are you doing, Damon!?"_Damon squinted his eyes in confusion as Alaric appeared behind Caroline's chair, obviously invisible to the young, blonde vampire.

"Damon…" Caroline began to speak, a pained expression on her face. "I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I _don't _love you. I don't think I will _ever_ love you. And no matter how much you might wish it, Klaus isn't leaving me and I'm not leaving him. I don't know what my eternity will bring, but I know that Klaus will be there every step of the way. He's the one thing that I'm sure about in my life, and it's only getting better. You know he hurt me and that he abandoned me for a while, but it was with good reason and now we're working through it. I can't… I can't even _think_ about ever leaving him. I'm sorry Damon."

"_Damon, go get the girl. You're so close, don't give up on her. Klaus is a first class dick. You'll have your opportunity."_Damon shook his head, attempting to push his delusions of Alaric out of his head. _Not now_, he thought, sending a rough glare towards his old drinking buddy.

"I know, Caroline. I understand. I'm not stupid, you know. I'm not stupid, but selfish and reckless, and all I want is you. So," Damon's shoulders rose in a shrug. "I don't care. I'm going to stay anyway, for you. For those times when Klaus pisses you off and you just need someone to talk to. I'm going to fight for you, Caroline. Fight for you like I fought so long for Elena. And who knows? Maybe if things had gone a little differently…"He smiled a sad smile, tinted with a mixture of defeat and hopeful promises. Stained with all the 'whats' and 'ifs' that plagued his mind.

"If that's what you _really_ think Damon, then maybe you are stupid. And deluded." Caroline shook her head at him, looking down when he leaned over the table and brushed his lips across her cheek.

"Maybe I am."

* * *

Caroline found a small vacant apartment for Damon in the French Quarter complex that housed most of Klaus and Marcel's inner circle. He was a guest, part of her life before Klaus, and she was kind enough to lend him a room until he either found his own place or returned to Mystic Falls. As she helped Damon transfer his belongings from his car, she hoped it would be the latter. A few nightwalkers had moved the Chevy from the Hyatt the night before.

It had been interesting conversing with Damon and learning about the events that had taken place in Mystic Falls since she'd moved away. Caroline had never really spent any time with Damon, refusing to properly interact with him since he'd compelled her into being with him in his first few weeks in her hometown. She noticed that he'd sobered up a lot since then. She could tell that he was a better person now and, although she was angry with him, she mused that if the situation was different they may have been friends. Right now though, she couldn't picture herself forging a friendship with him through the awkward tension. She hadn't missed the longing looks Damon had sent her way; much like he hadn't missed the confusion she masked under her irritated exterior. For once, Caroline Mikaelson didn't know how best to handle her situation.

When their unpacking was half finished, Damon's phone started ringing obnoxiously through a now dead conversation. Putting the phone to his ear, Damon said his own name in a way of greeting.

"Hello, Damon." _Klaus_. Damon internally groaned. "Can I speak to _my_ darling wife?" Damon sighed, knowing that Klaus had emphasised the 'my' to irk him. Possessive bastard. He rolled his eyes before half-heartedly throwing his phone towards his vampire barbie doll.

When Caroline raised one eyebrow questioningly, Damon simply stated, "An original. The big, pretentious, evil one. _He's kind of a dick._" Caroline shot him an exasperated look before bringing the phone up to her own ear.

"Klaus?" Her voice was quizzical, wondering why he had called her now when he _knew_ she was with Damon.

"You know, love, I do despise it when you call me 'Klaus'. It's so off-putting, so distanced. I thought we were more intimate than that. Truth be told, I'm hurt." Caroline sighed at her husband's latest antics. He was ridiculous, calling her to tell her that he didn't like his name.

"If that's _all_ you called to tell me, then I have to go. I'll be home as soon as Damon's settled in." She was about to press the end button when she heard her husband's voice trespassing through the phone yet again.

"You very well know that's not why I called, Caroline. Come home. A less irritating Salvatore brother has taken up residence in the guest room and I rather think he'd like to see you." She felt a smile light up her face as she laughed in relief. _Stefan was okay_.

"Thank you, Nik! You know I love you, right?" she leaned her head back on the wall behind her, grinning slightly when she heard the loving silence on the other end of the phone. She could almost see her husband smiling back at her, however she didn't miss the pained expression that flashed across Damon's face at her words.

"And you know what I love? That you didn't call me 'Klaus'. See you soon, sweetheart." A resounding _beep_ told her that her husband had hung up the phone in an adamant rejection of any protests she might have made to his demands.

"Well that was pleasant**,**" Damon grimaced, openly showing the distaste still lingering on his face. **"**What was going on at the other end? Or do I not want to hear it?" The oldest Salvatore now focused his attention on the blank glare of the TV, seeing his and Caroline's features imperfectly reflected on the glass. Caroline just shook her head yet again, realizing that there were _way_ too many irritating men in her life.

"Leave all this stuff, we can fix it up later. Klaus got your brother back, they're at our apartment." She chuckled, happily realizing that in a few minutes she was going to see one of her best friends. _Maybe Stefan can help me with the Damon situation_, she mused. He was normally a very level headed person to converse with.

"Ohh, _our_ apartment. Kinky. I like your thinking, Caroline." Damon gave her a subtle wink that was more than an attempt at flirting. She responded with a dumbfounded stare, looking at him as if his brain had fallen out of his ear and rolled under the carpet.

When she finally processed the meaning behind his words, she quickly slapped him over the head as she said, "I meant me and Klaus, you dumbass. Let's just go." When he tried to open his mouth again, she held one finger over his lips, sternly saying, "Don't. Talk," before sashaying her way out the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine: Perspectives**

**A/N: Another quick update! Lucky for you guys ;) Well, we hope you enjoy the latest chapter of 'Requiem', but also please take the time to read our new one-shot 'Serendipity' that we posted on New Years! It's set before 'Requiem' and is centered around Damon and Elena. Please review and tell us what you think! x**

A draft of cold air greeted Damon as he followed Caroline into the guest room of Klaus's apartment. News of Stefan's whereabouts had lightened the heavy feeling that had been resting on his heart for the past day, and as Damon entered the living room, he spotted him sitting on one of the lounge chairs, staring blankly out the fixed window into the bustling streets below. Looking him up and down, Damon concluded that all was in order with his brother, and decided to take the liberty to catch up on the events of the past two days.

Clapping Stefan on the shoulder, Damon took a seat beside him, crossing his legs and making himself at home. Passing his brother a sidelong glance, Damon began the interrogation process, asking all the where's and how's of Stefan's arguably uncomfortable and unfortunate experience, beginning with the conflict in the lobby of the Hyatt.

"So, how did the royal pain in the ass treat you?" The older Salvatore queried, distaste evident in his tone of voice. He was completely insensitive to the fact that said 'royal pain in the ass's' wife stood behind him, subject to hearing whatever unorthodox abuse would be thrown out on the table.

Shrugging in a very noncommittal gesture, Stefan went on to speak about how in this turn of events he got the longer stick in the draw, and in fact spent his 'capture' in complete and utter comfort.

Damon shot him a dubious look, unbelievably miffed that he was the one subject to endless inquiry, abuse, and deprivation of personal rights, including his access to communication and personal belongings.

After a few moments of pregnant silence, Stefan decided that a game plan was necessary for the remainder of their stay in New Orleans. The youngest Salvatore, for once the brother keen to let loose, suggested that they tour the old city and revisit parts of the town while they were there. Damon, on the other hand, didn't feel like he had time for such frivolities. He came here to reconcile with Caroline, and as of the moment, he was in the perfect position to do so; Klaus was nowhere to be seen, he had his brother at his back, and Caroline seemed to be in a pleasurable mood.

Scooting over to the opposite end of the couch, Damon patted the seat next to him, beckoning for Caroline to come and sit in between him and his brother. Caroline hesitated for a brief moment, remembering it was _Damon_ for goodness sake, and slowly slid herself in the small slot referred to, barely able to squeeze into the tight space between them.

Damon smirked, vaguely amused by her discomfort. It wasn't _just _the displeasure of being squeezed into a tight space, but it was the distaste written all over her face. She had nothing against Stefan, in fact she had a very close friendship with his younger brother, but Caroline hadn't forgotten her first meeting with Damon and how he had manipulated and lied to her.

Caroline's curiosity eventually overrode her disquiet, and she found herself asking Damon and Stefan about all the occurrences in Mystic Falls since her departure a few years prior. She made sure to avoid the topic of Elena, knowing that bringing up her death would only hurt the Salvatore brothers, so Caroline stuck to the basics. She asked about Bonnie, her best friend and witch, but was disappointed to hear that neither Damon nor Stefan had spoken to her in a very long time. Ultimately, all form of conversation about Mystic Falls had been exhausted.

"So Caroline, tell me about your life in New Orleans?" Stefan tried to swivel around to face Caroline, but the small space the three of them encompassed prevented that.

At this point, Damon had lost interest. He stood up from the couch, and he heard Caroline sigh in relief as space opened up on the sofa. Faintly hearing the blonde vampire and his younger brother conversing about her life in New Orleans, he continued to browse around the living room, eyes finally resting on a small photograph of Klaus and Caroline, newly wed. Picking it up delicately, he studied their faces. Caroline looked _so_ happy, but when he spoke to her earlier in the day, she seemed so troubled; and then there was Klaus. He had a look of that iconic smugness on his face, but even Damon could see the love he had for Caroline deep in his eyes. What disturbed him the most, however, were the missing pieces of glass, cracked and broken, completely absent from the frame, and the small indentations in the corners, as if it had made contact with someone or something. Resting it back down where he found it, he felt the week's pent up rage threatening to explode. Taking one last glance at the photo, he focused on Klaus, standing to Caroline's right, arm snaking around her waist, so _disgustingly_ in love.

Damon's lips curled up in a scowl, and he turned around to face Stefan and Caroline, still deep in conversation. "Why the _hell_ did you marry him, Caroline? He's a _dick_!" The older Salvatore didn't intend for the remark to come out so harshly, but he soon realised that it didn't really matter. She needed to know how he felt about it.

Stefan bit his lip. He could feel the energy in the room turning thicker and heavier, but he had to agree with Damon for once. Caroline could have done so much better, and considering Stefan's past with Klaus, Stefan wasn't ready to forgive and forget.

"You know he's right, Caroline." Stefan flinched slightly as Caroline shot him a glare that the devil himself would be proud of. "I mean, after all, he did try to make me murder everyone I loved and cared about." He said it so casually, so _nonchalantly_ that Caroline found herself gritting her teeth, trying her hardest not to lash out.

"That's not fair, Stefan. He's different now, he's changed. Everyone can be saved and you can't judge a person based on their past. He _loves_ me, is that not enough proof? You of all people should know that." She looked at her best friend with a smile that was almost dripping with disappointment.

Before Stefan had a chance to reply, Damon scoffed, laughing humourlessly. "Look, Blondie, you didn't exactly forgive _me_ after all this time." He threw his hands in the air, completely done. "But you know what? It's because you _love_ each other isn't it? It's because I can see the sadness _written on your face_ whenever you talk about him? You know what, I bet he didn't even tell you about his little visit to your mother's house? How she doesn't even _remember your name?_"

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows for a moment, trying to decipher the meaning behind Damon's words. "Damon," she said, looking at him as if he was stupid, "as you well know, my mother is dead. She died keeping Jeremy safe from those vampires who visited you last year. Klaus organised a funeral down here and everything."

"He _lied_ to you, Caroline, and I'd even bet he's been lying to you about so much more…_How can you not see it!?_"

She shook her head slowly, unable to bring herself to trust Damon's words. "No, he _wouldn't_. You're lying. Stefan, please tell me he's lying!" Caroline looked to her favourite Salvatore brother, her eyes begging him to tell her that Damon was deceiving her.

Stefan interjected quickly, knowing that his brother was far from done. "Caroline, maybe this is a conversation you should have with Klaus…"

Opening her mouth to continue, Caroline was cut off by Damon, not quite finished with his venting.

"Or _maybe _it's because she left you alone, and all you can do is watch the world drift by you, while you're powerless to stop it?" Damon closed his eyes, clenching his fists together so tightly, his knuckles were pure white.

Stefan and Caroline looked at him shocked. What first was an outburst against Klaus and Caroline's marriage turned inwards, bringing up the one thing that hurt Damon most: Elena's leaving. Despite Caroline's unfeeling neutrality, she felt a small pang of pity for the oldest Salvatore. He lost the love of his life, after trying so hard and so long to gain her approval and undying love. Ironically, her love was finite.

This time, Caroline patted the seat next to her, understanding that they could all need a brief moment of silence. Using Stefan's legs as a pillow, and Damon's as a footrest, the three of them stared blankly into space, wondering what went wrong all those years ago.

* * *

"That's _impossible_, love. My sister is very ill. You can see it in the dull hair and the… rather prominent collar bones." Klaus gestured towards Rebekah in her hospital bed quickly adding an, "It's not my fault you don't look your best, sweetheart," when she sent a malicious glare in his direction.

He had been in the hospital since the early hours of the morning after receiving a message from Sophie, one of the witches who doubled as Rebekah's nurse. She had just suggested that the original sister did not have cancer at all, but that the initial diagnosis was completely incorrect.

"Jeremy called me last night. He told me that he'd been conversing with Qetsiyah, something concerning Bonnie's anchoring issue, and she hinted that what Rebekah has isn't cancer but rather a side effect of the cure." Sophie looked apologetically at Klaus, worried that he would try to weasel more information out of her; information that she didn't have. She'd met Jeremy a few months after Klaus' arrival in New Orleans, when Klaus had sent her to Mystic Falls to help Caroline with her packing.

"And why would the little hunter call to give information to the big, bad, _original_ family? You know Sophie, I'm beginning to suspect that you're all conspiring against me." He frowned at her, a stern look invading his eyes as his stance grew tense. All he'd wanted since he took over New Orleans was loyalty from the vampires, the werewolves, the humans, and the _witches_. Sophie was the closest he had to a witchy friend, and he wasn't happy that there might even be a _chance_ she was against him. He watched, becoming only mildly amused when she sighed in annoyance.

"A vampire killed by a werewolf bite recently made it's way through Bonnie to the other side. Although the pain is always excruciating, this case has been different, and rather than recovering from it she's slipped into a delusional fever. It's been over a day, Klaus, and they're worried she won't recover. They want some of your blood in exchange for the information. You won't find any conspiracy here, no matter how much you distrust us." Klaus scrutinised her face, watching for any signs of deception.

"Very well. Let's _pretend_ that your story is true. How do they know my blood will cure her? How do _I_ know that I can trust this?" He raised an eyebrow, wondering at the credibility of the explanation she had concocted.

"Klaus, I get it. You're evil _and_ you're experienced. You _don't_ trust and you _don't _care, but think about it this way. Rebekah has two months to live. Without any interference, she's going to die. It would be too _easy_ if we were conspiring against you. All we'd have to do is sit around and soon enough she'd be dead and you'd have lost a most beloved sister. What your _friends_ in Mystic Falls have offered you is a chance to find out what's really wrong with her. What the witches and I want to offer you is a chance to _save _her. If you care about Rebekah at all, then you don't really have a choice." She stared defiantly up at him, hoping that he cared _just enough_ to take her offer.

"Sophie, I'm sorry, love, but I can't quite come to terms with your fantasy that you and your feeble clan of witches can cure my sister's canc… whatever illness you've deluded yourself into thinking she has." He shook his head at her, moving over to Rebekah's bed where she was staring at him with a scowl.

"Nik, I'd _love_ to meet this sister of yours. She sounds quite… weak, desperate, incapable, dependent, sickly. Pity she isn't here." Rebekah's scowl morphed into a full-blown grimace, her eyes filling with the injustice of her brother's dismissal of her own opinions. Her gaze soon flickered towards the witch standing behind her older sibling, angrily saying, "And you! What right have you to give me hope when there is none? I thought I'd met enough conniving bitches in my lifetime, but _obviously_ you witches had other plans."

Sophie closed her eyes and breathed deeply, knowing that losing her temper at such a crucial moment would ruin any chances the witches had at striking a deal with Klaus. She'd been closely observing Rebekah since they'd moved the original sister back to New Orleans and she was almost _certain_ that she didn't have cancer. She was _almost_ sure that Rebekah's illness was one of a supernatural nature, an illness close enough to cancer that the humans would diagnose it as such. If they could use their coven to find the cure to Rebekah's sickness, they might be able to gain Klaus' permission to use magic in the quarter.

"Rebekah," Sophie started, attempting to look unfazed by the original's ensuing glower. "I have reason to believe that there _is_ hope for you. I know for a _fact_ that you're not someone who gives up. You have only _two _months left and unless you _want_ to die, I suggest you consider this offer. In exchange for the rest of the information from Jeremy, your brother sends some of his blood back to Mystic Falls. Once we have the proper diagnosis, I get my witches and we find a way to cure you. If you're cured by the end of your two months, then Klaus allows magic back into the Quarter. If you die, we give up our grimoires and _never_ mention magic within this city again." She watched as Rebekah awarded her with a calculating stare, gauging the sincerity of Sophie's offer. Klaus only looked at his sister, an incredulous look set upon his face.

"Are you actually considering this, dear sister?" he asked, disbelief marring his tone. Although he'd developed a wonky friendship with Sophie, they were still on different sides of a war. Through his life, he had watched the oppressed winning wars against those who had oppressed them and he knew that his own kingdom was in danger of facing the same circumstances. He was in charge of the city and his men were actively beleaguering the witches. _Never underestimate the power of those struggling to free themselves._

"I want this, Nik. I want another chance. I want another chance at being in love, having children, growing old with my family." A sad smile graced her face as she looked toward the floor. "Yet again though," her words were now bitter, painted over with memories of past experiences, "my survival is in your hands. Without you, I have no chance. And of course you don't care, Nik. Family was never _enough_ to make you care."

Klaus was an intelligent man. He knew that his decision here could not be based purely on his love for his sister. It was also political and he needed to make the right choice. The witches would never stop; never give up until they grew strong enough to take him down. Accepting Sophie's deal would give them hope and, if they couldn't save his sister, it would be the end of the fighting. They would have no more excuses to disrupt his rule, no more excuses to threaten his wife and his family. Accepting the offer would also give Rebekah one _last _chance to get back the life she had craved for so long. Ultimately, he needed to do the right thing for himself, for his city, for his family, and for his Caroline.

He would accept the witch's deal.

* * *

When Klaus arrived back home, he found Caroline, Damon, and Stefan lounging together in the living room. He was almost mortified to find that his wife was leaning on the youngest Salvatore with her feet cradled in Damon's lap. Moving quickly into the living area, he interrupted their friendly banter, noticing that the previous tension between Caroline and Damon was completely gone.

"This is a rather pleasant gathering." He equipped his face with a forced smile before continuing. "I'm _almost_ sorry that I have to break it up. Caroline, _love_, I'd quite like to talk to you." His wife just shrugged her shoulders, looking expectantly at him through her lashes. After a few long seconds of silence, she sighed. She thought he needed to talk to her.

"Well? Talk," she said, her voice drained of any patience she may have had left. _What did I do to make her so mad?_ Klaus wondered as he continued to stare at her, hoping that she would understand his silent message.

"Actually, I was hoping that we could talk alone, so if you wouldn't mind..." He stooped down, lifting his wife in his arms. Carrying her bridal-style, he walked towards their bedroom, throwing a casual, "Take your leave now, Damon," over his shoulder. Caroline again hit him over the head, trying to squirm her way out of his arms. "Love, this would be a whole lot easier if you could just _cooperate_." She gave in to his wishes, relaxing into his arms as he set them on the bed.

"What is it, Nik?" She looked up at him, snuggling into her from behind. His breath caressed her neck and she leaned further into him as she waited for his reply.

"There's been a new development concerning your sister-in-law. As it turns out, her illness might not actually be cancer but an impairment of a more supernatural nature. There is a possibility for a cure. The witches have offered me their services in exchange for their free use of magic and I've decided to accept their deal." He tilted his head at her as she pushed herself away from him, confusion dancing on her perfect features.

"Why would you do that, Nik? You _know_ the witches are dangerous and they _hate _us. _All _of us. Allowing them to use their magic again will kill us all. Rebekah is going to die eventually, whether she's cured or not. You can't keep postponing the inevitable." Caroline directed her gaze towards him, not agreeing with his decision at all. Rebekah meant _nothing_ to her, and although she understood that the youngest original meant a lot to her husband, she couldn't comprehend why he had chosen to risk all of their lives for his ungracious sister.

"Believe it or not, love, you and Rebekah used to be friends, and I need your support in this. I'm sorry, Caroline, for what I'm about to do, but at this stage it really cannot be helped." Her eyes widened and she began to protest, telling him _not to compel her, not to take her choices away_. He mostly ignored her objections, trying to deal with the inner turmoil waging a war within his heart. Klaus wasn't going to compel her _again_. Not after the way he felt the first time. No, he was going to give her memories back, finally striving to make up for the grievous mistake he had made. He knew that there would be no going back from this. She wouldn't trust him again, _couldn't _trust him again. Perhaps she would leave him. All the pain he had taken from her would flood back in, and he just hoped that she was strong enough to deal with the injury of his betrayal as well as her original grief.

Steeling himself up, he braced himself for whatever reaction he would receive from Caroline. Finally able to bring himself to look into her eyes, he whispered one word: _Remember_.

He noticed when her eyes widened, hurt and betrayal thick in the tears that spilled over her eyelids. Caroline visibly choked on her words, her heart shriveling up and burning to dust. She couldn't _believe_ it, couldn't fathom that her own husband had _compelled_ her. The one person in the world that she had learned to trust and he had _betrayed _her, _broken_ her. Grief and guilt flooded her system too. Guilt for not saving Elena. Guilt for not being there for Bonnie, Stefan, and even Damon when they'd lost her. Guilt for the few days in which she'd gone back to hating Rebekah, her _best friend on her deathbed. _Caroline could remember the immense pain of that last day Klaus was loyal to her. She hadn't wanted the pain then, and she didn't want it now, but she hadn't wanted to _forget_ the pain either.

"_How_ could you do that to me?" She managed to squeeze a few words out, still unable to comprehend why Klaus had turned against her like this.

"Love, it was the only thing I could do at the time. Let's be honest here. You weren't exactly the most fun person to be around. I simply didn't want to deal with despondent Caroline, so I helped you forget. It's really not that complicated." He shrugged his shoulders, a vain attempt at lightening the already tense atmosphere. He could see it in his wife's eyes. Caroline was _livid_, and at the same time she had shattered into a million tiny pieces.

Klaus watched as she raised both palms up in the air, waving them around in exasperation before finally bringing them up to cover her face. "You _compelled_ me!" It almost came out as a quiet shriek, setting the tempo for the conversation they were about to delve into. "You had no _right_ to compel me! Elena was my friend and now she's gone and I've been so apathetic. She's gone, Niklaus! And poor Rebekah! She'll pass away soon too and I've wasted _days_ not caring about her. _Why_ would you do this to me? To her? To all of us?" She looked around like a startled bunny rabbit, unsure about where to go and what to do and what to say.

"Can't you see, love? I did it for you. It's _always_ for you. You needed to forget? I _helped _you forget. You needed your memories back? I _gave_ them back. Is that so wrong?" His own anger was quickly rising and he wanted her to understand how much of himself he'd given to her. In the last few years he'd given her _everything_. More than he'd ever given his friends, even his _family_. His efforts were never appreciated though. Nobody ever appreciated anything he did.

"For me?!" She was screaming at him now, tears slowly drying on her face. She would cry for him no longer; he wasn't worth her grief. "I didn't _want_ to forget. You _knew_ I never wanted to forget, no matter how painful the circumstance! And you _can't_ just call yourself a good person because you gave me my memories back, Niklaus. _You took them from me in the first place._ Heroism isn't creating a problem just so you can fix it later. _That isn't love._ I thought you'd changed, Niklaus. I thought you were better than this. Obviously I was wrong." She was standing up now, quickly moving towards the door. He didn't want to lose her, _couldn't _lose her. Not at a time like this.

"I warned you a long time ago, Caroline. I'm the most evil being on the planet. _I cannot be saved_. You're deluding yourself if you ever thought it possible. Right now though, my sister needs you, and I would very much appreciate the help. Let's not create any more _obstacles_ in our relationship. Come back over here, love." He stared straight at her, a tentative smile nervously making its way onto his face. The gentle nature of his expression, however, dropped at her next words.

"Niklaus, you're always complaining about the obstacles standing in the way of our love. What you need to _realise_ is that every difficulty, _every problem_, has been caused by _you_. _You _are the one who tried to kill me and my friends before I'd even met you. Hell, you even held me as your prisoner with the intention of sacrificing me to your bloody curse! _You_ are the one who left Mystic Falls the moment I started to warm up to you. _You_ are the one who left New Orleans the minute I moved there to be with you! _You _are the one who neglected our marriage by being dishonest and _you_ are the one who betrayed me. You _compelled_ me, Klaus! No matter your words, you _cannot_ justifythat!" Caroline shook her head, wondering at the wisdom of her next accusation as she began to speak again. "And I heard something very _interesting_ this afternoon about my mother. Apparently she's _not_ dead." She'd moved away from the door, enough that Klaus felt a little bit safer in the hope that she would not leave him, but his anger and irritation was still rising. He'd had _enough_ of everyone believing the worst about him.

"Sweetheart, whilst I know I have many faults, you cannot be so blasé to believe that you yourself have none." He ignored her last assertion, his head tilted a little in a dangerous warning, but Caroline refused to be partial to his silent commands.

"I know I have my faults Klaus, but this conversation isn't about who has the most faults! It's about our relationship and honestly, if I were like you we wouldn't be together at all. _I_ was the one who gave you the benefit of the doubt and who believed you could be saved even after you killed my best friend. _I_ was the one who waited in Mystic Falls for you, hoping you loved me enough to come back. _I_ was the one who again waited for you in New Orleans, feeling lonely all the time and joyous only when you returned. _I_ was the one who always gave you your choices, never pressuring you or forcing you into doing anything for me. Tell me Niklaus, _how_ can you justify the belief that our relationship problems are caused by _me_?" Her speech was full of doubt, her voice thick with the issues that had plagued her mind since she'd moved here.

For a moment he was stuck, slowly coming to terms with the fact that she sincerely believed that her words were more truthful than his. _So this is how she sees me, _he thought with bitter realisation. _This is what she thinks of me._

"And what about Damon, hmm? The seductive Salvatore brother you're suddenly _so_ close with? Was that somehow my fault too?" He gave her a calculating look, his eyes suddenly emotionless, his lips set in a flat line.

"How did _Damon_ come into this conversation? He's not even my friend! When I spoke to him yesterday, I had to watch as he realised that it would always be _you._ You would always be the man I loved. And I felt nothing. I felt nothing as his face crumpled in pain and regret for the years he'd lost with me, with Elena. _You_ create the problems here, Niklaus. Just admit it."

"I will do no such thing, _love_." His tone was _dangerous_, seething as he fought to regain control. "He's _better_ for you than I am. You invited him into our home, invited him into your heart. I saw how _cosy_ you were with him when I came in and we all _know_ how this ends. And I'm not someone who likes to get left behind."

"_When_ will you realise, Niklaus, that no matter who is _better_ for me, I love _you_. It's _always_ been you. _Tyler_ was better for me but I left him _for you_. And Damon? Damon's been a stick up my backside ever since I met him. I'll _never_ feel anything for him. In every conversation I've had with him, all I've done is defend my _marriage_ with _you_. That's _all_ I've been doing lately, and you've given me nothing in return. I left my friends behind, pushed them away, moved to a new city and learned how to rule it, waited _endlessly_ for you, and somehow managed to keep myself sane. I've done _so much_ to keep you, and still you reward me with only petty jealousy." She waited for his reply, her next decision resting on his response. Fueled by anger, Klaus wasn't thinking, and his words only served to heighten her resolve.

"Well look at you, Caroline. So determined to love me, the big, bad, original hybrid. Do you think that's heroic? Compassionate? Does it make you _feel_ good? Personally, I think it's rather pathetic." He scoffed at her, the all-present smirk returning to cover his inner turmoil with sarcastic madness.

She brought back the words he'd used on her, her shoulders slumping as she gave in to the inevitable. "See, Niklaus? This is what you do, push it all away with tenacious sarcasm and hurt everyone by pretending not to care. Well I'm _done_ fighting for you. I'm done fighting and fighting while you sit back and treat me like some emotionless toy. Rebekah was right. My friends were right. Nothing will _ever_ be enough. Nothing will _ever _make you happy. Not even me." Another tear snuck out of her eye and she brushed it away fiercely. _She'd promised herself she wouldn't cry over him anymore._

"Love…" he began in defeat, forcing his anger away in the knowledge that he only had a few moments to salvage whatever was left of their dying relationship.

"Stop, Niklaus. You have _no right_ to call me 'love' anymore. I'll help you with whatever you need for Rebekah, but _that's it_. After that, I don't want to see you. I'm doing this for _her_, for my _sister._ Don't you _dare_ think that this decision has anything to do with you. I may love you, Nik, but I can't do this. I _won't_ do this anymore."

And with that she was gone, leaving behind one very heart-broken original hybrid.

**A/N: Sorry, please don't hate us!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Defeat**

**A/N: Hi guys! A good long chapter for you all ;) Please remember to read 'Serendipity' if you haven't already, because it's technically a prequel to 'New Orleans' (as is 'Infinite'). It would mean so much if you could please read and review :) Sorry for the delay, we're just making a trailer for 'Requiem' and it'll be up before you know it ;D Enjoy! x**

Rebekah looked up, startled as a very _angry_ blonde crashed her way into the hospital room. Her shock quickly became befuddled amusement when she noticed that the vampire trespassing into her room was actually Caroline, not saying anything but rather pacing backwards and forwards in frustration as she pulled at her long hair.

"Caroline," Rebekah said with her signature smirk. "What in the bloody hell are you doing?" Her head tilted to the right as her sister-in-law continued her furious walking. She left Caroline to her own devices for a bit before finally deciding to intervene. "You know, Caroline, if you don't let up soon you're going to put a hole in the carpet. I don't know about you, but I _do not_ want to explain that. So why don't you consider sitting down and telling your beloved sister all about whatever incident has caused your upset." She graced Caroline with an encouraging smile as the blond stopped moving and cautiously sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Your brother," Caroline started before quickly standing up again. "I can't even… There are no words! How did you put up with him for so long?" She pushed herself back into the chair, trying her best to hold in years of pent up frustration.

"Well, I would happily give you advice if you'd tell me what's going on." Rebekah gave her a pointed stare, wondering what her brother had done _now_.

"You warned me Bekah, you warned me and I… I should have listened. He _can't_ love. He doesn't know how." From her past experience, Rebekah knew exactly how Caroline fet. Tentatively reaching a hand out to Caroline, she was shocked when her sister-in-law accepted the gesture.

"Are you… Are you not compelled anymore?" she asked cautiously, hoping that Caroline had her memories back so she wouldn't be at fault for worsening the issues between her brother and his wife.

"Klaus just gave me my memories back. I came straight here and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that for the past few days I haven't cared about you, haven't spared you a _single_ thought. What kind of a person doesn't even _think_ about her sister lying in her deathbed?" Caroline gave Rebekah an apologetic smile, silently asking for redemption. She received a playful grin back, quickly forgiven for the negligence that wasn't her fault. Caroline's relief quickly faded away, however, at Rebekah's next question.

"So, sister, what now? How shall we organise our retribution? I'm assuming you have _some_ plan to get back at my brother."

"That's what I came to talk to you about," Caroline said sadly, trying her best to hide the doubts she still had about her decision. "Klaus and I, it didn't work out. I think I'm going to break it off with him." For a moment, Rebekah was shocked. She'd never even considered that Caroline and Klaus would someday split. They'd always seemed so _happy_, and she knew her brother loved his wife. Although she herself had experienced failed love so many times, she'd believed that Klaus and Caroline's love would prevail. To her, their love was _infinite_.

"Caroline, darling, that's hardly retribution. It's insanity. You're _in love_ with my brother and you're _married_ to him. Don't you think this is just a little rash? Not to mention, your name will go back to being _Forbes._ Hideous." Rebekah stopped talking when she noticed the helpless tears spilling down her sister's cheeks. She reached out a frail hand to gently push some of the sadness away, but she could do nothing to remedy the defeat that had conquered Caroline's glassy eyes.

"You're right Bekah, I am in love with him, but that doesn't mean I can do this anymore. All the lying, the unexplained disappearances, his constantly nonchalant attitude. I mean, I tried to have a serious conversation with him and he called me _pathetic_. It _hurts_ and I can't do it anymore." Caroline shook her head and put her face in her hands, suddenly very tired and devoid of energy.

"But," Rebekah's voice was desperate and upset, not wanting to witness her brother being stripped of all happiness, "you're his family now; our family now. You can't just abandon your family." Her sister-in-law looked up at her, the frail girl in the hospital bed, and did her best to force a melancholic smile onto her face.

"That may have been the case at one point, and believe me when I say that I'll always think of you as my sister. No matter how much I want to be a part of your family, I will _never_ be related by blood. My link to Klaus is only defined by petty splashes of ink on a fragile piece of paper. You may not be able to leave your brother, but _I_ can. It's what I have to do Rebekah." The two girls held each other's hands, allowing an almost comforting silence to lull the conversation for a short moment.

"And how do you think this will affect her, hmm?" Both girls were startled out of their silence as Xander entered, bringing with him bloodshot eyes and a stained mug of slushy brown coffee. Caroline looked at him inquisitively, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. "Splitting up with Klaus. You and Klaus are," he trailed off, before absentmindedly wondering, "_What is it that the teenagers say? Ah, yes_. You and Klaus are her 'OTP'."

Caroline raised one perfect eyebrow at him before turning to Rebekah and conspiratorially whispering, "Would you mind if I threw something at him?" By the time she turned around though, he had scampered out of the room.

Rebekah only awarded her with a tiny smile, saying, "I'm not sure about you, but I'm under the impression that my husband is _scared_ of you. Interesting concept considering he's married to one of the most formidable beings ever to walk the earth. Enough of that though." The remnants of her barely-there smile fell from her cheeks as she looked seriously at Caroline once more. "Are you really prepared to destroy the only happiness Nik has left in the world?"

The blonde vampire leant her head against the wall, curls frizzing up as she thought carefully about her response. After a while, she decided on a simple one. "I don't think I make him happy, Rebekah. I don't think he'll ever be happy. I can't accept a life where my partner is constantly unhappy with himself and disappointed with me." Rebekah slowly nodded her head, knowing exactly how Caroline was feeling. After all, the original sister had felt the same many times in her life.

"Were you not the one who _always_ said he could find his happiness? You always believed that Niklaus could be saved." Rebekah was grasping at straws, reaching for every shattered fragment she could use to piece her brother's marriage back together.

"Look Rebekah, I know I used to say that he could be saved. Heck, for a while I even thought he'd already been saved. Whether he'd found his redemption through me or through himself, I was never sure. What I eventually came to realise, though, was that in believing he could be saved, I was lying to myself. Sometimes seeing the good in people just means that you're not seeing the truth." She paused for half a second, before looking into her sister's eyes once again. "I won't leave you though, not until we see you cured. I'll stay, but only for you, and then none of you will ever have to hear from me again." A lugubrious sigh leaked from lamenting lips as Caroline directed her gaze back to the floor, resigned to the reality of her doomed romance.

"I want you to know that although I understand how you feel, I don't support your decision. Maybe I just want too much." In a moment so quick Caroline almost missed it, Rebekah's doubtful expression switched to one of whimsical childishness. "I know what you need!" she exclaimed. "Girl's night! Let's sleep over. Xander's capable enough to find somewhere else to stay." Caroline looked at her sister-in-law, confusion and uncertainty etched upon her face.

"Look," Rebekah continued, "I know the necessity of such an event is debatable, but I'm guessing you don't want to go back home to Niklaus or the Quarter right now. I'm also presuming that you're exhausted, so what better remedy than spending the night with family?" Caroline shook her head in reluctant acceptance of Rebekah's words before crawling into the bed with her sister-in-law.

As Caroline fell asleep, Rebekah was left wondering how long she had until her best friend left for good. The original sister lay with her back to Caroline, wondering whether there was anything she could have said, anything she could have done, to save her brother from the inevitable heartbreak about to befall him.

* * *

The midsummer sun shone down on the two brothers as they made their way to the center of town, not only eager to revisit some of their past, but anxious to forget their intense meeting with Caroline the previous day.

Stefan was following Damon, letting the older brother lead the way through a city they hadn't visited since the 1940s. Turning down Bourbon Street, Damon stopped suddenly, Stefan nearly ramming into him. Holding his hand up in a militaristic parody of signing 'stop', Damon narrowed his eyes, making sure his mind wasn't deceiving him. Down at the end of the street, taking purposeful strides right towards them was Klaus, and he was looking none too pleased.

"_Shit," _Damon cursed under his breath, enraged at the sight of the Original hybrid. Not one to back away from conflict, Damon stood his ground, attempting to look as nonchalant as possible as Klaus swiftly approached. Damon nearly laughed at the expression on Stefan's face; his eyes were wide open as if shocked and afraid, but his mouth was set in a straight line, defiant and brave. The brothers weren't foolish. They knew that Klaus was an Original vampire, and could only be killed with a stake made of white oak, of which of course neither of the Salvatore's could obtain in the next few moments.

"What a _pleasant_ surprise to see you here, Damon. I think I recall us saying our farewells last night, which leaves me wondering what you're still doing in my city."

Damon felt a shadow cast over his own, and looked to his right to see Klaus standing before him, looking as angry as ever. The older Salvatore barely trumped the Original in height, though Damon still enjoyed being able to look down on those he disliked.

"_Damn_, you caught me. There goes my plan to take over New Orleans," Damon grinned, looking Klaus in the eyes, palms raising up in mock surrender. He knew he was playing with fire, and that any wrong move would cause him to burn. "Oh, and Klaus. I was just wondering...I mean I've heard _gossip_, but where's Caroline? Did she leave you?"

Damon felt Stefan's hand on his shoulder, silently begging him to stop and let it go before either of them were killed. Shrugging it off, the older Salvatore no longer cared. He would play with fire, and learn how to tame it, or extinguish it.

"Here's my proposition for you, _mate. _I'll tell you about my Caroline when you enlighten me on the wellbeing of our dear, _sweet _Elena. Is she waiting for you back in Mystic Falls? My guess is she's been reunited with Mr and Mrs Gilbert at the bottom of one very familiar river. Now I don't know about you, but I feel that a meeting with her adoptive parents is justified." Klaus had his signature smirk etched into his face, obviously taunting Damon in order to elicit a reaction from the younger vampire.

Damon noticeably flinched at the mention of Elena, but anger flashed in his eyes at the bringing up of her parents, and at Klaus speaking of _his_ Caroline. _Doesn't he know she's not his anymore,_ Damon thought bitterly, wanting so badly for Klaus to disappear and leave Caroline alone, so that Damon could selfishly take the blonde vampire for his own.

Not bothering anymore with the pleasantries, Damon dove for Klaus's neck, ready to shred him apart, disregarding the fact that Klaus was indeed an Original vampire, and proceeded to ignore the pleas from his younger brother, telling him to be rational, and that he'd get himself killed. _As if it'd matter_. "I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat," the oldest Salvatore snarled, turning into an animal before Stefan's eyes. It was an immense amount of luck that brought them a completely deserted Bourbon Street.

"Uh uh uh," Klaus said, waving one goading finger at Damon in a disapproving manner, stopping the older Salvatore's just as he reached out to make good on his promise. "I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little face of yours. At least not tonight. I expect you'll need it when you see Elena again. I mean, it's the only reason she ever liked you in the first place. Look at you. You're a mess, a _nobody_, a pitiful toy she took it upon herself to fix."

Stefan took a step back, letting his brother reap the repercussions of his errors. He would step in should should Damon be at risk of being harmed, but for the moment he would remain on guard with a watchful eye.

"I think you're mistaking me for someone who _cares,_ Klaus." Damon was intent on shrugging off all temptation to rip out the Original's throat, but to do so, it'd require a great amount of luck and stupidity, even with his brother at his back.

Ignoring Damon's sarcastic remark, Klaus persisted with his provocations. "And what delusions persuaded you to believe that her death was unavoidable? I myself am convinced that she _let herself go_ because she couldn't even fathom the thought of being stuck for one more day with you."

Damon's face was set in stone, and all his features conveyed frustration, anger, guilt and grief. "_I'm_ the one who let her go. After all, isn't everything my fault?"

"It seems I've learnt something new today. Naive little Damons _can_ feel remorse." Klaus' tone was almost sympathetic, if not for the underlying sarcasm laden behind his smirk. "And I wonder, was the funeral fulfilling? Did it fix the hole in your heart? Pity I couldn't be there, but I was busy making wedding plans with Caroline. I'm sure the service was a boring disappointment for Elena too, what with the despondent boyfriend attending merely because he was to blame for her departure. Did you even love her, way back when? Or was she just a petty replacement for_ my wife_, a woman _far_ more alluring than that doppelganger _bitch_."

Damon had had enough. He was beginning to see red, and he hardly noticed his nails digging painfully into his palms in rage. All he could see Klaus as was a target. Something he could _kill_, and something he _would_ kill...but he'd wait a few moments longer. He would take the Original by surprise, and then it'd all be over, but of course Damon no longer cared that the aforementioned white oak stake wasn't in his possession. Forgetting his silent promise to Caroline not to mention anything of their conversation together a few days prior, Damon told Klaus something he shouldn't have...something that to a great extent, was a lie. "You know I had a little chat with Caroline the other day. Funny thing, really." Damon laughed humourlessly, surprisingly finding little entertainment in lying to the Original vampire. "We talked about you, really...and sorry to burst your bubble, Klaus, but she's in love with _me_. Not you." At this point in the conversation Damon had draped his arm over Klaus's shoulder, like they were old friends, and the oldest Salvatore could see the fire igniting in Klaus's eyes, anger, hurt, and confusion emanating all at once. "I heard it from her lips," Damon taunted in the Original's ear, finally getting some enjoyment out of the charade he was playing.

"Don't flatter yourself, _mate_. After all you are _nothing, _a puny insect no one can ever seem to be rid of." The insulting grin once again pushed its way onto Klaus' face as he shrugged Damon's arm, and claims, off his shoulders. "Whatever you imagined from her lips, I hope you found some consolation. You know my Caroline, always trying to make pitiful beings feel a little less mundane. Although," he added as a side note, "I do hope you remember _this_ the next time you think of me. I have everything I want; a city to rule and my queen by my side. What have you got? Broken bones in your heart and a dead girlfriend at the bottom of a lake." He gave a sardonic laugh before winking at Damon, mocking him by feigning a friendly gesture.

Unable to muster a reply, Damon tried to convey his disapproval of Klaus and his cocky behaviour through his eyes, boring deep into Klaus's, hate colouring the air between them. Completely dismissing everyone and everything around him, his eyes only focused on one thing, and nothing else existed but his target. Taking a step back, he braced himself, and sent a forceful punch straight at Klaus's jaw. Hitting his mark, Klaus's head whipped back, and Damon noted with satisfaction that a dismal crack was heard originating from the Original's nose.

Gloating in his small success for a moment too long, he barely registered Klaus approaching him at such a speed that even a vampire couldn't follow. Feeling his back slam against the old brick walls of the ancient buildings, a large _bang_ resounding through and shaking the city. Damon saw black encroaching his vision, and for a moment he couldn't take a breath. Trying to see past the blood dripping in his eyes, he attempted to dodge a rigorous blow from his aggressor, but his head cracking against the cement told him he failed to do so.

Mustering up the strength to stand up, he dove for Klaus's legs, knocking them both into the ground in a tangle of flailing limbs, occasionally landing a blow on the other. Taking this opportunity, Damon delivered multiple blows to the Original before he was yet again thrown off, pulled off by his younger brother. Damon was enraged to see a smile stretching across Klaus's face, teeth stained with blood leaking from his broken nose, and mocking laughter echoed through his ears.

Stefan attempted to pull Damon to his feet, but his dead weight did nothing to help the young vampire, and he decided to let Damon help himself for the moment, otherwise Stefan would be caught in the middle of what seemed like a fight to the death.

Damon cringed slightly as Klaus approached, knowing this time he wouldn't be able to get another punch in, and he shut his eyes in anticipation for the blow he knew would come...but it never did.

He was about to question why, but a single weak voice answered his inquiries for him.

"_Klaus?_"

* * *

"Care, _get up_." Caroline opened exhausted eyes, her vision greeted by two blurry figures poking and prodding her. She noticed that one of the incessant hands digging into her shoulder was very weak, stripped of energy. As her vision cleared, she slowly made out the two figures in the haze. Rebekah was laying beside her, nudging her gently, whilst Xander poked her as hard as he could, leering in satisfied fascination.

She sat up quickly, simultaneously moaning, "_What_ do you want?" as her head collided with the bar above Rebekah's bed. "_Why_ do these stupid things _exist_?" she rubbed her head before slowly manoeuvring her way into a precariously upright position, still sitting on her sister's bed.

"You know, I've never been too sure about that particular question, although I believe it might be one my brother is more adept to answer." Rebekah gave Caroline a tentative smile as Xander grabbed her hand, nodding in encouragement. Caroline slowly shook her head at the two of them, not feeling that she was quite _ready_ to face her husband again. Just thinking about him _hurt_ and she didn't want to _imagine_ the ache that would return to her heart if she _saw_ him.

"Elijah? Do you even know where he is?" Caroline attempted to avoid Rebekah's implied suggestion, unable to bring herself to accept that she would have to face _him_ eventually.

"Look, Caroline," Xander looked at his wife's closest friend, deciding that Caroline could not elude her husband forever. From his limited past experiences, he knew that issues were best dealt with earlier rather than later. "I really think you should talk to Klaus. I don't know much about your relationship, much about either of you really, but I can see it every time you're together. You love him and he loves you. That's not something that should be ignored or disregarded. _Gosh_," he added as a side note, "_I am such a woman."_

Rebekah only giggled slightly before agreeing with him. "You need to find him. I know you don't want to but you _have _to. As your sick sister, I hereby demand that you do it. Bring me a coffee on your way back." Her tone was cheerful, her smile laden with naïve optimism. However, Caroline did not miss the eyes full of sadness, despairing for a brother who had done her wrong so many times.

Giving into their demands, she carefully slid off the bed, doing her best to avoid the obstructions present in the tight space. She waved over her shoulder as she made her way out, doing her best to fix her now crumpled dress. As she left she heard Rebekah quietly whispering, "_I hope Nik isn't dumb enough to actually lose her. He's smarter than that. Although, I wonder if she knows…" _Caroline didn't stick around long enough to hear the rest.

She walked from the hospital, needing more time to clear her head. As she walked, she thought over the multiple conversations she might have with Klaus. She realised that it could really go both ways. Now she had cleared her head, she realised that there _might_ be a chance for them, _might_ be a way for her to keep fighting. If he could show her that he still loved her, as much as he had when they'd married three years before. _Maybe_ it would be enough. Not enough to mend their relationship, not enough to mend the past, but enough to keep them going; to give them another chance. He just had to _say_ it, and she would give in. She always gave in at the end. Indeed, though, it could go both ways. He was so disconnected, so used to forcing people to his demands that he didn't know how to love. He had been correct when he had proposed to her. He was so naïve for a 1000 year old immortal hybrid. Caroline wasn't sure whether she would be the one to teach him how to _love_ someone, _be _with someone.

As she strolled aimlessly around the city, she heard an uncharacteristically loud _bang_ followed by the sound of sardonic laughter. Her brow crinkling in worried fright, she listened, trying to identify the general direction of the sound. In her years in New Orleans, she had learned all about the politics of the city, and she had learnt to impose the rules. It was daytime; no fighting should be happening in the streets.

Surprised to hear the ruckus originating in Bourbon Street, she turned in that direction and briskly walked toward the scene. She was experienced enough now that she didn't need Marcel for backup. She didn't need _him. _Relieved to find Bourbon Street completely empty of people, she began to run towards the culprits of this distraction. As she ran towards them, she realised she knew the men. _Stefan_. She noticed him as the man attempting to pull the attackers apart. A mop of dark hair identified the man on the ground as Damon, pushing himself up and attempting to dodge a well-aimed punch from his assailant. Caroline watched in horror as he was knocked to the ground _yet again_. Without thinking she ran up and wrapped her arms around the aggressor, pulling him away from her friend. She felt all the breath leave her as _she_ was knocked backwards, her head colliding with the ground. A guttural growl stunned her as she recognised it, finally identifying the third man.

"_Klaus?_" she pushed out, her words marred with the pain from a broken rib and bloodied head. The man in front of her turned quickly, horrified terror crossing his face.

"Look at her," he sighed quietly, "always showing up at the most _inopportune_ times." He had said it so silently Caroline almost didn't hear it, and she knew that he hadn't intended for her to be listening to his nearly inaudible speech.

"Is that what I am to you? A _thing_ that constantly shows up at the wrong time? Do I need to _schedule _times with you now?" her words were weak, her body trying to cope with the blood loss as she tried to push herself up. Klaus looked shocked that she had heard, almost remorseful for his actions. She knew he only regretted that she'd noticed his words. Her husband's shock quickly changed to an almost rabid jealousy as she felt strong hands at her waist when she tried to stand. Once she was up, she turned to find that Damon was behind her, his face bloody although he was seemingly okay. Placing her hands on his chest, she slowly pushed herself away, telling him that she needed a moment with Klaus. He nodded in understanding, motioning at Stefan to follow him.

"We'll see you back in the Quarter once you're finished, Caroline." The older Salvatore spoke coldly, completely detached from the situation. Damon made special note not to mention Klaus's name, making sure that he wasn't invited to any form of social activity between Stefan, Caroline and himself. Turning around, Damon began to make his way down Bourbon Street, staring down at the pavement, fascinated by the small droplets of blood raining down from his forehead onto the concrete below. Completely void of energy, he made no effort to converse with Stefan, instead getting lost inside his own thoughts. Brother in tow, he turned the corner, and continued down the road to the Quarter.

"We need to get you to a hospital, love." Klaus looked her over, visibly flinching at the injuries he had caused.

"I appreciate the gesture, but I've just come from there and Rebekah told me not to go back until after I talked to you. Besides, if we go there now, I don't know if I'll ever be brave enough to have the conversation we're about to have." She unconsciously grabbed his arm as she took a step forward, wincing at the pain. It would heal soon, she knew, and then she wouldn't have to worry about her physical injuries anymore.

Lifting her into his arms, he smiled a little, knowing that her pain rendered her unable to complain about this action. "I'll take you home then, sweetheart." He began walking in the direction of their apartment block, moving as slowly as he could and relishing the feeling of Caroline in his arms.

"I don't know if you _remember_ last night, but in case you don't I'll give you a refresher. I don't _have_ a home anymore." Her words were bitter and Klaus watched helplessly as a single tear fell down her face. It was his fault. It would always be his fault. He was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts and trying to find the right words to say.

"Contrary to everyone's beliefs, you still have a home and you're not leaving." He looked down at her, watching her eyes soften a little. Her mouth, however, was still set in a stony grimace. She responded to his words only with silence.

They arrived at the apartment after walking for only 15 minutes. Klaus shouldered the door open and made his way into the lounge room, gently setting Caroline down on the couch. His arms felt empty without her. He crossed them in an effort to make up for the cold that now draped across his chest, slowly sitting beside her as she brought herself into an upright position.

Dried blood flaked from the back of her head, her wounds now healed as she looked up at him. Without saying anything, Klaus blurred to the bathroom, grabbing a small washcloth and wetting it before making his way back to her. Reaching up to push the blood from her head, he was dismayed when she snatched the towel off him. Obviously, she didn't want him to take care of her anymore. He looked down, an inner storm waging a dejected battle within his heart.

He was almost startled when a cold, wet lump collided with his head, gently dabbing at his forehead. Pushing his gaze up, the melancholic maelstrom settled as his eyes met Caroline's soft green ones. She was focusing on cleaning the blood from his face, destroying the remnants of the fight he'd had with Damon.

"Love, I appreciate the concern, but I don't really need…" he began, knowing that Caroline wasn't very happy with him and she wouldn't be proud if this incident led to anything else. He was cut off however, by a voice that was stern yet gentle at the same time.

"Don't talk," Caroline commanded him, smoothing his worried brow and giving him an almost tentative smile. Once she'd finished, she moved over to the kitchen sink, where she cleaned the towel and fixed herself up. When she sat down again, Klaus moved his hand, cupping her face with tender softness. She moved away from him though, and he realised with great sadness that the previous moment was lost.

Finally gaining the courage to break the somewhat awkward silence, Klaus gave in to the knowledge that he and Caroline had to talk about their tense conversation the night before. "Look, sweetheart," he began, "about our little spat…"

"_Little _spat!?" Caroline looked affronted, her memories of the night before encompassing an argument that was anything but _little_. "I know you've been around for a long time, Klaus, and maybe you've had arguments that made last night's disagreement seem small or inconsequential, but for me, that conversation was important. You can hardly describe it as _little_. It wasn't a petty or trivial disagreement, Nik. There are _real_ problems in our relationship." Klaus looked up at her, a frown beginning to form on his face before it was quickly covered by a superior smirk.

"Caroline, love, in case you have yet to realise it, the only problem here is _you_." A resounding _smack_ sounded throughout the room as Caroline slapped him, a red mark quickly spreading across his face.

"I've had it with you!" She shouted, her voice rising an octave in anger as Klaus stared at her in shock. "You're always blaming me for everything! You know what? It doesn't even matter whose fault it is anymore! The problems we're having, they're _our_ problems, and we _both _have to fix them. I've been trying, but what have _you_ been doing? Nothing! Prancing around your precious city, blaming me for everything you've done wrong! If you're not willing to put the effort in, then what's the point?" Caroline lay her head against the back of the couch, giving into the overwhelming feeling of loss that had now consumed her.

"I'll do better." It was almost a whisper, Klaus' voice floating across the empty space between them.

"That's the thing, Klaus," Caroline's voice had dropped, becoming soft and defeated once more. "I don't think you can."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Animosity**

**A/N: Here is chapter 11! Hope you all enjoy it and hope you won't murder us for the mean cliffhanger at the end ;) Also, just another reminder to please read our one-shots 'Serendipity' and 'Infinite'! They're prequels to this story so it'd benefit you all ;D Thank you for reading and please follow, favourite and review! Another thing we'd like your opinion on: What do you think of us changing the title to 'Requiem' ? It has a nice ring to it and fits in well with what's coming (*hint hint*) and there are _so_ many stories called 'New Orleans'. Should we change it? Or no? :)**

Damon was bent over the sink, blood stained cloth in hand. Furiously rubbing at a mark of blood on his left temple that refused to come off, he gave up, and tossed the once white towel into the garbage. Looking up into the mirror, he noticed his younger brother standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

Anticipating Stefan's reply, Damon pushed his way out the door, half colliding with his brother on the way out. "Don't. I don't want to hear it."

"What you did was wrong, Damon! You could've gotten killed, and I can't have that right now!" Stefan began to pursue Damon, adamant that his point would be heard.

Having heard this speech too many times to count, Damon tuned out, letting Stefan speak the words, but allowing them to flow in one ear and out the other. After what must have been five minutes of unbelievable torture Damon turned around, and snapped. "Look, Stefan, I don't _care_. I don't _care_ that I might have nearly died today, and I sure as hell don't care about Little Miss Sunshine."

Stefan rolled his eyes, and sighed. Damon had always been like that, always pushing away the truth, even though he _knew_ his feelings were genuine. "Fine. Suit yourself. But know that when the time comes that you _do_ care about Caroline, I won't be here to pick you up off the ground." Grabbing a light jacket, Stefan slung it over his shoulder, and shouldered his way out the door.

Content for the moment that he wouldn't be seeing his brother for a while, Damon poured himself a drink and lay down on the couch. He could feel the encroaching curse of having to think and to _feel_, and he quickly downed the small glass before he could get too lost inside himself, because god forbid he be burdened by his speculations.

Attempting to ignore the growing pounding in his head, he focused on the ceiling, counting the number of small cracks that emanated from each top corner of the room.

"_You okay?" _

Damon sat up, and looked across the living room to see Alaric, right leg resting over his left, brows furrowed in concern yet still carrying his trademark smirk.

Setting his glass down, the dark haired vampire turned to face his old friend. "Do you want me to be honest, or do you want me to lie to you?"

"_Well, technically I _am_ your subconscious…"_

Damon rolled his eyes and grinned, happy to have heard from Ric for the first time in a good while. He had to admit, he missed the spirit of his drinking buddy, but some days he really wished that Alaric wouldn't go poking and prodding his nose in business that wasn't his own.

He opened his mouth to give a snarky reply, about how everything was absolutely _not_ okay. That the reason he came to New Orleans wasn't to revisit painful memories, or get nearly maimed by an Original vampire, but to win Caroline's heart...or have his own broken.

Disturbed by the creaking open of the front door, he was about to go forth and taunt his younger brother for throwing such a fit, only to return within what must have been minutes. His voice was caught in his throat though, as he took in the figure of the vampire that stood in his doorway.

"Caroline?"

* * *

"_I don't think you can." _Klaus felt sadness overtake him as the rift between him and Caroline grew ever wider. For a brief moment, he almost pitied himself for his predicament, but he quickly disposed of the feeling in an effort to avoid falling into an abyss of _regret. _He did, however, still love his wife. No matter how many emotions he pushed away, no matter how many _feelings_ he despised, he would always love his Caroline.

"Love, I haven't shown you the world yet. You can't give up on me _now_." He'd replaced his shock with a cocky façade of contentment which only served to make Caroline feel even more alone than she had when he'd been away from New Orleans.

"That's where you're wrong, Klaus." Klaus' eyes drifted downwards in anticipation of her next words. She called him Klaus when she was upset. 'Nik' had always been reserved for the moments she was most in love with him, and he knew that this time, the speech she gave him would not be loving or affectionate. "I _can_ leave you, if I want. I love you, I'm not afraid to admit it, but I know I'll never be able to make you truly happy. I need to think about myself for once, and feeling like a failure for the rest of my life? That won't ever make me happy either."

He deliberated for a brief minute, attempting to think of words that would not offend her. He was wondering a dangerous terrain and he knew that if he wasn't careful, he would be left with nothing. "And what of your previous plans?" A smile lifted onto his face as he endeavoured to create a friendly air of conversation. "I believed that you intended to save me. Personally, I like myself the way I am, but the way I see it you're stuck with me until you achieve your goal." Caroline only shook her head in response, letting him know that she didn't believe his newly acquired playfulness was genuine.

"Alright then." She raised an eyebrow, testing him. Her stomach churned at the thought of the answers her next question might bring her, however she knew it had to be asked eventually. "Let's see. Can you tell me what happened to my mum?"

"Caroline, sweetheart." He took hold of her hands, as he slightly rolled his eyes, keeping up a friendly demeanour whilst also offering her a small gesture of sympathy. "I never took you for someone who would _forget_ the way her own mother died. However, if I _must_ repeat the story… It was a cold and stormy night as young Gilbert wondered the perilous streets of…" His somewhat sarcastic re-telling of a tragic tale ended as he was again slapped upside the head.

"No jokes, Klaus. My mother's death _isn't _a joke. No need to be so insensitive. What I meant was, were you telling me the truth when you told me she passed away?" When Caroline raised one eyebrow in a questioning gaze, Klaus' smile only lifted.

"I'm sorry, love. I lied to you." He clutched his heart for dramatic effect before continuing. "She… she moved to Antarctica to live as a hermit." Klaus paused for a moment, giving Caroline a heartfelt look of distress before allowing his face to fall flat. "That was a lie too. If you want to find her, she's six feet under the ground with a marble gravestone forever weighing over her head."

The look Caroline rewarded him with was nothing short of a ferocious glare. "So if I were to call her right now, she wouldn't pick up?" Her gaze was cold, calculating, and Klaus knew he could only stave off the truth with more dodging replies.

"I'm not sure, love." He frowned for a moment, deliberating as she watched him carefully. "Maybe she will. You know," a mischievous grin took over the lower half of his face, "_perhaps_ they have phone service in heaven." Caroline continued to watch him carefully, flicking her thumb against her index finger as she thought. Keeping eye contact with him, she fished her new mobile phone out of her pocket, grateful that she had picked one up on her way to the hospital the night before. Calling her mother's house, she waited as the endless ringing began.

Klaus began to smirk as the phone continued ringing and Caroline relaxed a little bit. As much as she missed her mother and as much as she'd like her back, she'd always known that she would outlive her. In the past year, she'd come to terms with her passing, and she realised now that the relief of Klaus telling her the truth brought her more comfort than the idea that her mother was alive and unknowing of her daughter's existence.

"_Hello, Forbes' residence." _Caroline stiffened in shock as her mother's voice drifted through the phone. She gaped at Klaus as the smirk quickly dropped from his face, replaced by a mixture of guilt and irritation. _"Hello? This is Elizabeth speaking." _Caroline nearly dropped her phone as she quickly came to the realisation that her mum was on the phone. _Her mother was still alive._

"Mum?" She spoke in quick, joyous tones. "It's Caroline! How are you?" Her words were choppy, bland and unoriginal as a result of the shock she felt at this new development.

"_I think you have the wrong number." _There was a pause from the other end of the line before Caroline's mum continued. "_Although, if I did have a daughter, I would have called her Caroline. You have a beautiful name." _Caroline's eyes widened as she tried to process this new bit of information. Someone _had_ compelled her mother. Someone had taken her memories away. And she didn't even have to _guess_ at who it was.

"Sorry to disturb you, ma'am." Caroline quickly mumbled a reply, hanging up the phone. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown and did not wish for her mother to experience a _stranger_ breaking down over the phone. That's all she was now. A _stranger_. A stranger to her family, a stranger to her mother, and at times she was even a stranger to herself. It was all Klaus' fault. She directed her malicious gaze over to him, her quiet sadness morphing into a hateful fire.

"How could you do that to me? You compelled her to forget me!" she screeched as he tried to capture her hands in his once more. "She's my _mother_, my _only_ family! _Why_ would you do that?" For once, Klaus let himself feel truly remorseful for his actions as Caroline's body racked with sobs in front of him. "You need to go to Mystic Falls _right now_ and get rid of your compulsion! _Right. Now._" She was seething, smoke almost dripping from her lips. Klaus knew, however, that there was nothing he could do to remedy the situation, so he simply told her that he couldn't do it.

"_What do you mean you can't do it?"_ Her voice had dropped now, so quiet it was almost silent.

"I mean what I said, love. I can't take the compulsion off your mother." He shrugged his shoulders in subtle regret, placing his hand on her knee to offer quiet comfort. She shoved him off though, standing up and backing away from him.

"That's it then, Klaus. You took my family from me, you took my _life_ from me, and now you're taking my happiness too. I'll find a lawyer and drop the divorce papers off in the morning." He hung his head as she made her way out of the apartment. Just as she was about to leave though, Caroline heard his quiet voice making its way through the room.

"Caroline, you know, if you do choose _him_," Klaus began, his voice laced with barely hidden disgust. "If you do choose _Damon_, make sure he can give you everything. Make sure he can protect you, look after you, give you the world. You won't let me do that for you anymore, but you deserve a man who can. Make sure he's worth it. I'll let you go for now, because I know it's what you need, and I'll be content in the knowledge that you have someone who will look after you. Just know this though. I tried living without you. I've tried it for a thousand years. It didn't work out for me, and I always learn from my experiences. I just don't have it in me to live without you, Caroline. So take all the time you need, but just know that at the end of it all, I'll be here waiting."

His voice was alluring, _promising_, and it made her heart stutter. In the end however, there was only one phrase she could push out through the haze of devastation that had overtaken her heart.

"You'll be waiting forever."

The next time Klaus looked up, she was gone.

* * *

The surprise slowly faded from Damon's eyes as Caroline invited herself into living room, letting herself fall somewhat gracelessly on the leather couch, across from where Damon had now resituated himself.

The two vampires sat in comfortable silence until Caroline decided to break the now growing tension in the room.

"So… where's Stefan?" She gave a tentative smile, obviously made uncomfortable by the idea that she was alone with Damon.

"Out." His response was curt and cold, completely the opposite of how he wished it would be in his head. He wanted to be warm and inviting, but it simply wasn't him, and instead he focused on pouring himself yet another drink, hoping to wash away the awkward tension sitting in the empty space between them.

"Are…" Caroline stuttered for a moment, eyes nervously trained on Damon's back as he kept up his stony silence. "Are you alright?" She paused again, the words almost getting caught in her throat. Her thoughts were a jumble, trapped in oblivion like flies in a tangled web. "I mean… I know Klaus is… He's… You have to… I hope you're okay." She stopped herself there, rendering her mouth unable to spew out more twisted half-sentences, trying to save every ounce of dignity she had left.

Damon slowly turned to face her, eyes ice cold as his bored into hers, seemingly looking into her soul, trying to see her true motives and intentions. "You're worried about me—that`s nice... but I`m fine, why wouldn't I be?" This time around his calm attempt at kindness seemed far too odd and sudden, made horrific by his unreadable expression, and it sent the atmosphere in the room reeling. Out of habit, yet _another_ glass of liquor was downed in mere seconds, and he welcomed the precarious tilting of the ceiling like an old friend.

"Yeah, um," Caroline paused for a moment, trying to find the right words to continue the somewhat choppy conversation. "It's just... You looked pretty bad when _I_ left." She gave him a sad smile, knowing that he would notice the obvious way she had excluded Klaus from her response.

Huffing, the older vampire shook his head, and he tried to hide a humourless smile, but when he failed to do so he stood up, nearly knocking over the coffee table in the process. Looking to his left, he saw Ric gazing up at him with such disapproval in his eyes that he felt like a young boy again, always at the receiving end of his father's abuse. Damon couldn't stop staring at the occupied seat directly next to him, and he couldn't help his intake of breath as he attempted to formulate a reply to Alaric's unheard lecture.

Caroline responded to Damon's clumsy behaviour by moving her lips into a straight line, showing him that she was most definitely not amused. "Damon?" she queried, cocking her head slightly to the right in an attempt to decipher the older vampire's mind. "If you don't want me here," she began, not entirely sure if she wanted to be there herself, "I can go. I mean, it's not like much can hurt me anymore than I've already been hurt so... I'll just... Go find Stefan, or something." She slowly lifted herself off the couch, pausing only when Damon began to stare blankly into the space next to him. She made to leave, warily noting that nobody wanted to be around her anymore. Not even the people who claimed to love her.

"Look, Barbie…" The oldest Salvatore began rudely, only for Alaric and his conscience to curse himself for being so impossibly impolite. _What the hell is happening to me?_ Damon wondered vaguely, remembering the days where he didn't give a single damn about what others thought about him and his less than impeccable manners. Sighing, he began again, "No...please, just stay." The expression in his eyes was infuriating yet heartbreaking at the same time, but for once, Damon decided to make his first attempts at being hospitable, and possibly even friendly. As Caroline sat herself back down, he poured himself another drink out of habit, and offered, "Do you want me to get you something, Caroline?"

"A new life." This time, Caroline's response was fast. Too fast. She wasn't thinking and the words just came out before she ungraciously flopped sideways, landing on the couch as she grunted. Damon looked at her in mild amusement and fond interest, noting that Caroline's blond hair had fallen out of its ponytail, forming a golden halo around her head. Lying face down on the couch, Caroline's mind quickly caught up with her. She realised that this was_ Damon_ - not his younger brother - and she quickly returned to her formerly upright position. Brushing her hair back in a sweeping motion, she allowed a wall to build itself around her feelings again, trying her best to maintain a shaky air of propriety around a man who had never been her friend, but yet had never been her enemy either.

Damon paused in what he was doing, glass halfway to his lips. He saw that just forthe _briefest_ of moments, Caroline had let her guard down around him, and it pleased him far more than it should've, but was subsequently disappointed to see that her wall of stone had been rebuilt around her and she was too far out of reach.

He didn't bother to sit back down and instead opted for pacing the room in an attempt to rid himself of all his excess nervous energy, _still_ trying to ignore the growing ache in his head where the crusted blood still lay. With Marcel running the city, it was hard for travelling vampires to feed on proper fresh blood, and Damon longed for even a stale blood bag to stave off his cravings.

Shaking those thoughts out of his head, he looked towards Caroline, eyes searching deep into hers once more, but broke their eye contact right before he began. "So, how's Klaus?" He knew that she knew he didn't really care, and was only asking out of the so called _kindness_ of his own heart, but he wasn't ready to admit to her that his question was aimed more at their relationship and less at how the Original was _actually_ doing.

"Oh he's..." Caroline paused, trying to find a neutral word. "He's fine." She eventually decided on the age-old response, allowing Damon to form his own conclusions on the wellbeing of the original hybrid. She fidgeted with her hands as she intertwined her fingers together and allowed her thumbs to take on an intricate yet melancholic dance. Damon was almost taken aback when he noticed tears welling in her eyes, not quite ready to be the comforter of the day, but to his vague relief she quickly brushed her hand across her forehead, the motion assisting her in adopting a happy countenance as the tears disappeared. "You know Klaus," even she was almost startled when she continued, "he's always got _something_ to keep his mind off his troubles." Caroline's smile unnerved Damon, her tone of voice contrasting the empty sadness present in her eyes.

The older vampire was disappointed in her response, wishing she had elaborated a little bit more on where they both stood in their complex marriage. Caroline could see the conflict in his eyes, the uncertainty of whether or not he should push for the answers he'd wanted, as he'd always done in the past. After all, Damon Salvatore always got his way...but not this time. This time he restrained himself and took a deep unnecessary breath, and resumed his highly strung pacing around the room, slowly increasing in momentum. He began to feel himself speak, but he didn't recognise the words coming from his mouth. "You shouldn't be with _him_, Caroline." Caroline looked shocked, and her eyes narrowed suspiciously, warily wondering if Damon was aware of the conversation she'd just had with her soon-to-be ex-husband. Damon's breath caught in his throat as the nervous energy he had been channelling through his incessant pacing came to a sudden halt, bursting outward in a cataclysmic event worthy for encyclopaedias.

"I don't _like_, Klaus, Caroline! He's made a mess of my life, and of yours, and it _pains_ me to see that I'm so much better for you, and you haven't spotted that yet!" His voice was rising in volume, but still remained oddly calm and purely sincere. "I mean hell, I'm no _Klaus_. I _don't_ destroy the lives of others, and I only _ever_ wanted the best for you." His lips curled up in a sneer, words becoming harsh and biting. "But of course_ you_ know best, don't you. You know that _I_ have _always_ been the one to hurt you and flip your life upside down...but it's your choice." His face was up in hers, far too intimate for a moment like this one. "Now make it."

"I'm..." Damon watched as Caroline struggled to speak, her hands curling into tight fists as she leaned forward on the couch. Her eyes were wide, startled from his sudden outburst, and Damon began to fret when he noticed that Caroline had visibly begun to shake. Her next words were so silent, too empty of emotion, as they drifted and spread throughout the room. "I'm not with him. Not anymore, anyway." When Damon next looked at her, she'd buried her face in her hands as quiet sobs softly danced between them, heard only because they were in such close proximity. He gently pulled her hands away and lifted her chin so she was forced to look at him. Despite the tears sprinkled across her cheeks, and the newly developed redness in her swollen eyes, to Damon, she still look flawlessly beautiful. And yet, although she was vulnerable, although she was despairing, one couldn't help but notice the defiance still buried deep within her heart.

Damon didn't say anything - _couldn't_ say anything - and he got lost in her eyes, still brimming with unshed tears. Using his thumb to brush away the small droplets of water trailing their way down her cheeks, he sighed, stood up, and resumed his old position on the couch next to her, but noticeably closer to the blonde vampire; and just like before the two sat in a comfortable silence, Damon exchanging dazed glances with Alaric. Finally following the basic rule of social etiquette, Damon stared down at the carpet, following its intricate patterns, and muttered so softly, that if it weren't for Caroline's vampire hearing, she wouldn't have picked it up, "I'm sorry…" He wasn't really though. In fact he was nearly jumping for joy at his newfound opportunity to win the heart of the broken-hearted vampire sitting next to him.

"No you're not." Caroline's voice was cold and Damon quickly directed his gaze back to her, expecting the now familiar flat expression she used when she shut people out. On the contrary, however, her face was not expressionless — she had turned to look right at him, her eyes piercing through his soul with an emotion that could be described as nothing less than gratitude. "But thanks. For being here." Although she did not smile, and although she immediately averted her stare after her speech, Damon knew she was completely sincere in her words.

Damon smiled and shook his head, he exhaled deeply for what must have been the millionth time that afternoon, and looked at her directly once more. "You're _welcome_, Caroline," and his old trademark sarcasm shone through, and for the first time in a while, he was happy. He was content with where he was and the company he was with, and continued to wonder in his head how in the world he got where he was.

"Do you want to know what happened?" Caroline's words were soft and Damon grunted in approval, although he really didn't give a damn about what her hybrid husband had done this time. "You were right." He lifted an eyebrow, believing for a moment that she was _blaming him_ for her issues, however, as he soon realised, this was not the case. "He compelled my mum to forget me. He compelled _me _to forget Elena. He doesn't know how to love. He's over a thousand years old and _I'm_ supposed to teach him how to feel?" She laughed humourlessly. "I'm not even 30 yet! He sees me as a play thing, a toy he can control, and I can't be in that kind of relationship. There are so many lies in our marriage, so many things that he's hiding to '_protect_' me. Klaus disappears all the time and leaves _me_ to fend for myself. He can be impossibly sweet at times but for the most part, he doesn't care. I can't handle it anymore. The jealous rages, fighting _all the time_. He doesn't trust me. I don't think he trusts anyone and I don't think he ever will. Klaus only believes in himself and he'll _never_ believe in me, no matter how much I love him. _That's_ why I ended it." She paused for a moment, watching Damon carefully, but he almost had no reaction to her story. Caroline knew that he was unsurprised. She knew that she was the only person who, for the past few years, had been lost in an illusion of who she wanted Klaus to be.

Cautiously, gently, she continued. "What was it like for you? Being with Elena, I mean." Caroline didn't ask to upset Damon or to merely continue the conversation. She was genuinely interested in hearing about her best friend's relationship with the man now sitting beside her on the couch. After Caroline had moved away from Mystic Falls, she hadn't heard anything about Elena's life, and she was yet to find out about her best friend's escapades before she died.

"With Elena, it was passion. It was pure, and it was her… but all the while there was a part of her that wanted to be with _Stefan_. I mean, after all it was _always _Stefan." Damon's tone was bitter, and full of long lasting resentment for his younger brother. "She kept denying it, I mean _of course _she did, and I never really believed her. But you know what was the worst part?" Damon's eyes had narrowed, icy blue eyes looking into Caroline's. "_Everyone_ thought she'd be better off with him. Even _you_ wanted her to be with Stefan, damn it!" He had begun to fidget, memories from the past assaulting his thoughts and mind, but he couldn't stop. "Despite my brother, we were somewhat happy, and all those days I spent with her were the best I'd ever spent in my 174 years of existence. That was...until she died." Damon noticeably cringed and took a moment to gather himself, wound still raw even after all those years. "Everything was _fine_ until we stepped into that _stupid_ car and crashed into the goddamn bridge. And then..._poof_. Out she went like a blown out candle. No sign she was ever with us." Damon was someplace else now, in a world only he knew because only he had witnessed it. "I even got her to agree to turn; we discussed it a hell of a lot before she died. And what's really _killing_ me is that we were _so_ close. But you know the rest. It was too late. Over. Now here I sit, talking to _you_, all alone."

As Damon ended his tale, Caroline nodded grimly, upset by his words but still glad that he'd opened up to her, even just for a little while. "Well," she quipped, "at least Klaus didn't _die _on me." At Damon's responsive silence, she thought over her previous words before realising that they were _completely _inappropriate. "I'm sorry," she quickly stammered. "I know she meant a lot to you… She meant a lot to me too. I shouldn't have said that. I know you're upset."

Damon's head whipped around quickly, startling Caroline slightly as he looked at her apprehensively. "And that's where you're wrong, Caroline. I'm not _upset_. Upset is an emotion specific to those who _care."_

As the room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence once more, Damon allowed his thoughts to float back to an event which had occurred almost three years before.

* * *

The sky was a deep rich blue, white clouds dotting the sky periodically, but quickly disappearing into the horizon as the wind restlessly blew them away. A small gathering, all dressed in black, stood around a newly dug hole in the ground, hoping…waiting.

Damon looked upwards, squinting against the harsh rays of the sun. To him, the sky seemed happy. _Too_ happy. _Far_ too happy to be shining brightly on a day where the love of his life would be lowered in a coffin into to the dirt, left to the worms and decay that awaited her below. Looking around at the expressions of those who stood in a small semi-circle, Damon noted that he was the only person there without tears brimming in their eyes. In fact, he felt quite heartless, really. If anything, _he _should be the one falling on his knees, quiet sobs wracking his body...not Matt. Matt never deserved this, Bonnie never deserved this, even his brother _Stefan_, whom he resented so much, didn't deserve to see his one true love be lost to the world they were permanently cursed to live in forever.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to commemorate the loss of Elena Gilbert."

Damon tuned out at that point, not even _moderately_ interested in anything the pastor had to say. He _knew_ Elena. He knew everything she was and could be and he just wanted this man to cease talking and just allow the few of them to mourn. Alone.

Time ticked on relentlessly slowly, and at last the afternoon sun began to peak over the trees when each of them were called up one by one to say a few words. Matt begun, unshed tears pooling in his eyes, and Damon could see that it was such an effort for the young busboy to keep them from spilling over.

"Elena. Man, she was something special." He laughed, salt water trails finally spilling over and landing like dew on the grass underneath him. "We'd known each other since we were kids, and growing up with her was a privilege I never really appreciated." Bonnie quietly approached him and handed him a tissue, receiving a grateful nod from Matt. "And now she's gone, and I never really told her that she was so much more to me than just a friend."

Matt stood up there for a few moments more, and threw the small bouquet of flowers he held tightly into his chest on top of the now lowered coffin. "May she rest in peace." Resuming his place amongst the small group of mourners, Bonnie stepped forward, dark makeup leaving black streaks down her cheeks.

"Elena was my best friend, and I don't know what I'll do without her. I regret all those times I went without speaking to her, letting her think I hated her...but I never could. I loved her like she was my sister and I would do anything to have her back."

Bonnie's speech continued for a few moments more, but Damon was lost in reading the gravestone now being placed in front of the freshly dug hole where her coffin lay.

"And now I know Jeremy would like to say something," Bonnie smiled sadly at her love, their fingers brushing briefly as she walked back into her place. Jeremy spoke, head held high where Bonnie stood only moments before.

"Elena was the best sister I could've ever asked for, and so much more. She was there for me when Mum, Dad, Ric and Jenna weren't anymore, and she's taught me to be the person I am today. She pulled me through so much and I don't know how I can thank her." Jeremy slowly unclipped the bright red rose that was pinned to his suit, and held it gently in his hand for a few moments. "She's like this rose. Eternally beautiful, but now returning to where it belongs." Kissing the delicate flower, he dropped the rose upon the coffin just as Matt had done, and turned around to face the gravestones littering the too crowded cemetery. "I miss you, Elena...please come back." He returned to Bonnie, gripping her hand tightly as he tried incredibly hard not to break. He had just lost the only family he had left, and his only reason to stay was the young witch standing beside him.

"Damon…" A small push forward on his back urged him to stand before the group of three friends, and he realised that after all this time, he still didn't know what to say.

"When someone dies-" Damon cleared his throat, not happy with how he had begun. Elena wasn't just _someone_. She was _his_ one, and she deserved so much more than he could say out loud. "Not only was Elena a friend, but she was a lover, and a sister." Looking at everyone's faces one by one, he could see the pain etched in their expressions, and he knew that this particular wound would take far too long to heal. "People say that life is too short. They're right...and I hope that when she died, she died happy. Even though she lived a life full of hardship and sadness, she also pushed through and woke up every day trying harder than the previous, and that makes her the strongest person I know. It's a shame my brother couldn't be here today, after all he'd have so much to say." As usual his tone was full of anger and resentment, and deep inside he was glad his brother wasn't here. That the _favourite_ brother wasn't here. "But here I stand...Still as deeply in love with her as I was since the moment I met her."

With that final statement of his unrequited love, he turned on his heels and walked straight out, not even _wanting_ to see the mounds of dirt get piled over her. At that point he already knew she was gone.

* * *

"Damon?"

Caroline's voice pulled Damon's mind from his musings and he turned to look at her, eyes full of devastation although the rest of his face was blank. She gave him the briefest of innocuous smiles before gently placing her palm on the side of his face. Staring directly into his eyes, her words were soft and gentle, reverberating to the very depths of his broken heart. "You _pretend_ you don't hurt, that none of this affects you, but I know you Damon. I know you can feel the pain and the loss. I know you feel it more than any of us. And I want to be here for you, just like you're here for me."

For a second, Damon could have sworn that Caroline's eyes had flashed down towards his lips, but the moment was ephemeral, fleeting, and he knew there would not be one like it again. He was shocked however, when she reached forward and pulled him into a tentative hug, slowly drawing circles on his back with delicate fingertips. He didn't move, rigid with surprise from the unexpected moment, but still Caroline did not let him go. Ever so slowly, he brought his arms up to return her embrace, and silently they comforted one another in their grief.

"Sorry to break up this rendezvous, but Caroline has somewhere she needs to be." The two vampires quickly pulled away from their hug and turned simultaneously to find the owner of the disruptive voice. Caroline spotted him first, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, a familiar smirk scattered across his face. Sneering some more, Klaus continued, "Truth be told, the _sweetness_ of that moment was sickening." His face scrunched in an effortless display of disgust, before he turned to Caroline once more. "I'd quite like it if I could talk to you, Caroline."

"You see, I don't think you understand, _Klaus_." Both Caroline and the hybrid were shocked when Damon started speaking, forcefully talking back in disgust at Klaus' presence. "She's not yours anymore, and you can't force her to listen to whatever _shit_ comes out of your mouth. If she really wanted to spend all her free time looking at your ugly hybrid face, she wouldn't have spent the whole afternoon with me, now would she?" Damon grinned, a devilish smile spreading across his previously innocent expression. "And that's the best part…" Damon had now stood up and circled behind Klaus, whispering in his ear menacingly. "She. Came. To. _Me."_ Annunciating every word, he rounded back to stand next to Caroline, slightly in front of her in case she needed protecting. Caroline gripped his arm tightly, silently trying to communicate to him that enough was enough, and if he didn't stop _right now_ he'd get seriously hurt. Klaus was _beyond_ pissed, and Damon was truly aware that he had pushed too far, and now that Elena was gone, he had nothing to lose...except Caroline, but Damon knew that Klaus would never do anything to hurt her, even if the Original wanted to make the both of them think otherwise. "What does that tell you, huh, Klaus? It tells you that I've been right all along. You _are_ a dick!" If possible Damon's grin grew ever-wider and in his crazed euphoria he nearly missed Caroline's amused snort that was ungracefully omitted beside him.

Quickly recomposing herself, Caroline brought herself back to the reality and severity of the situation at hand, and she _prayed_ that Damon would _shut up_ before he had his head taken off. "Enough of one to push your wife straight into _me_, anyways. And you know, I've done some pretty bad things to her in the past, so I guess you're just a bigger idiot than I was. I mean you're old as hell, isn't that supposed to make you the wiser of us two?" Damon laughed humourlessly but maliciously before continuing to verbally attack Klaus. "I know! Let's play a little game...you can _guess_ which one of us she can put up with more! _Or_ I could just tell you since you'd probably get it wrong. And guess what the answer is? _Me_. It will _always_ be me from now on. I'm the one she's speaking to right now, so how about this. You get out. Leave. I don't give a crap where you go. Hell, you're not even _wanted_ here right now, and you never. Will. Be. So goodbye! Adios!" Damon raised his hand and waved Klaus away, mocking him as he gleefully bid farewell to the original hybrid, but his smile slowly faded when, as expected, Klaus made no move to leave the room.

By the end of Damon's speech, Klaus was infuriated, although he did not show it on his face. "Did your mother never teach you, _mate, _that brevity is the soul of wit?" As his words came to an end, he smiled an almost malicious smile before ripping a wooden leg off a nearby chair.

"Then again," he added, turning. "You never had much wit." In a flash Klaus was standing in front of Damon, the makeshift stake embedded in the younger vampire's chest. Caroline screamed, her voice piercing through the air around them as Damon dropped to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Promises**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone! We've finally updated Requiem and we hope you enjoy the latest chapter. A little bit of Daroline for our Daroline enthusiast (thank for your review, you made us laugh. You know who you are) ;) Just in case a lot of you didn't know, we are two co-writers and separately we go by the names of Lexi Salvatore-Foxx and Jayne Mikaelson (see if you can figure out the 'secret' behind our username.) But yes, if you haven't already please read Serendipity (written by Lexi Salvatore-Foxx) and Infinite by Jayne Mikaelson ALSO check out Inner Demons, her new fic in progress. It's amazing :) x Please let us know what you think and favourite, follow and review! Show your friends! Everything makes a world of difference and each review warms our hearts :) Anyways, with no further ado, here's the new chapter :D x**

Rebekah leaned her head on Xander's arm, lying back comfortably in her hospital bed. She looked at him, a worried frown on her face. "When do you think Caroline will be here?"

He shrugged. "Who knows? She probably won't come back with your brother. He screwed up big time. I doubt she'll even believe him when he tells her." Rebekah rolled her eyes, still wondering at her brother's incessant love of being stubbornly stupid.

Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to think over the news she'd just received. The conversation they'd just had with Sophie and Niklaus was still fresh in her mind, playing over and over again for the past hour.

*****A few hours prior*****

Rebekah was reading, anxiously awaiting Caroline's return. Hearing the door open angrily, she snapped her head up. She quickly spotted her older brother barging through the door, pulling a very _irritated_ witch behind him.

"Hello Sophie," Rebekah smiled before turning a hateful gaze onto the other intruder. "Nik." Her eyes were stony as she looked at him, but he only smiled back and pushed Sophie towards her. "What's going on?"

"It seems little witch bitch here has some information for you." Sophie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and standing tall in front of the original siblings. Rebekah raised an eyebrow at the New Orleans witch, silently asking for elaboration.

"We found out what's wrong with you," Sophie admitted begrudgingly. "Taking the cure made vampire blood toxic to your system."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Well that's bloody obvious." Sophie raised her eyebrows, obviously growing more and more irritated with the Original family.

"Point is, you can't drink it. You tried before, but it didn't make it far enough to enter your heart. _Someone_ snuck into your house one night and injected vampire blood straight into your veins. In your system, it tried to change you, but ended up mutating with your human blood because of the cure. So now you have a unique form of cancer, or cell mutation. Whatever you want to call it." Sophie finished her story, an awkward look upon her face. She turned around and faced Klaus. "Can I go now?"

He tilted his head. "Course not, love. You haven't told us how to cure her yet." Sophie sighed, turning back to face the original sister. Rebekah's gaze was intense, full of hope that she could be saved.

"There's a spell. Davina can do it. You're going to need hybrid blood and the blood from a doppelganger girl. And before you ask, vampire blood is fine. Can I go yet?" Sophie directed her gaze at Klaus again, looking bored. He smirked and gestured out the door, inviting her to leave. Soon enough, she disappeared from the room.

"We need Katherine," Rebekah let her voice settle in her throat, trying not to choke on her words. Katherine was impossible to find, and even when they had her, she was insufferable and cunning. Of course it had to be a doppelganger _girl_. Not just a doppelganger. Rebekah would have much prefered to place her life in Stefan's hands. Even Elena's. But Elena was dead and Stefan wasn't a girl. Katherine was the only choice.

Rebekah placed her head in her palms, trying to put the whole dilemma out of her mind. Her brother had told her that he'd take care of it. For once, she wasn't able to choose between trusting him or not. Her only hope was that he wouldn't let her down this time. Her life was in his hands.

* * *

Klaus rolled his eyes at the sight of Caroline screaming and crying on the ground, hovering over Damon's motionless body. He pulled a vervain-filled syringe his back pocket, injecting the herb into Damon's neck.

"Relax, love," he awkwardly reached over and patted her on the head, unsure about how she would receive this action. "I only _grazed_ his heart. He'll be back soon, unfortunately. Give it a few hours." Caroline turned towards him, fury clouding her vision, but Klaus did not have time for arguing. Instead, he stood up and grabbed her arm, pulling her outside while ignoring the many protests she threw his way. She stumbled behind him as he pulled her through the many hallways that dotted the complex in the quarter. Eventually, as they neared his office, Caroline refused to go any further, and she dug her heels into the carpet as she finally spoke.

"We're not your puppets, Klaus. You can't keep seeing people as _things _you can control! _Why_ did you even do that? You _told_ me to go be with him!" She wrenched her arm out from his grip, very much intending to turn around and make her way back to Damon. Before she could move any further though, Klaus pushed her back onto the wall, placing his arms on either side of her so she could not escape.

"I remember what I said, sweetheart, however I did not expect you to become so _enamored_ with him mere hours after our talk." Klaus moved his face so close to Caroline's that she could feel his warm breath whispering across her lips. The proximity affected her of course, it always had, but she chose to ignore it. She'd already decided that she couldn't be with Klaus anymore, and she had to stick by her decision, especially after his display of unflinching brutality only moments before.

"We were comforting each other because we've both been _hurt_ by the ones we love most. If anything, it's your fault." She muttered her words, but they were still stern and unforgiving. Klaus narrowed his eyes a little before responding, somehow managing to push his face closer to Caroline's without touching her.

"_Nothing_ you do with Damon will ever by my fault, love." He was unbearably close and she shivered at his phantom touch. Her heart disobeyed her wishes as it sped up, erratic feelings flooding through her veins. Her dream state didn't last for long though and the pain was unbearable when she brought herself back to reality. She felt as though her heart were being squeezed, placed under unbearable pressure at the realisation that Klaus was no longer hers. She couldn't have him. He wasn't good for her. The tears resurfaced, painful now as they struggled to follow their already fallen kin. Klaus' eyes softened and he kissed the tears away, gently holding onto her arms as he did so. Caroline was _almost_ tempted to let him continue, but she knew it wouldn't do anyone any good.

She placed her hands on his chest as pushed him away from her. He let her, not wanting to force himself on her in any way at all. "I want you to go. I can't see you right now. You're hurting me."

He crinkled his eyes in confusion before saying, "But, sweetheart, I'm not even touching you." The tears continued to fall from her eyes, a relentless flood that wouldn't let up, and Klaus was shocked when he felt a single tear fall from his _own_ face.

"Not physically hurting me. Emotionally. You're slowly tearing my heart out, just like I've seen you do to so many people before me." She looked at him through wet eyelashes, and Klaus was devastated that he had done this to her. He'd promised to never hurt her and now here he was, doing exactly that.

"Ah, but there's the difference between you and them. I felt _nothing_ as I ripped their hearts out. Don't make the mistake of deluding yourself into thinking I don't care, love. When you hurt, it hurts me too. _I love you_, Caroline. Everything I'm doing, I'm doing for you." For a moment, he let himself open up to her. After all, this was the woman he'd given his heart to, despite their very recent split. He was disappointed, however, at the look she gave him. It was one she'd only given him a few times, and one she hadn't directed at him since they'd been wed. _Mistrust._

"If you hurt so much," she spat, "why do you look so happy? Why won't you leave me alone? Why are you so _unaffected_ by me you can't even get rid of your smirk?"

Klaus pushed his face close to hers once more before whispering, "Because, Caroline, I'm better at hiding it than you are." He paused for a moment, remembering the real reason he had come to see her. "Never mind that though. It is a discussion for another time. I came to bear news about Rebekah's situation." Caroline's eyes widened and he looked at her carefully, silently asking if he should continue. When she nodded, he spoke again. "I thought you would be interested to note that there _is_ a way to save her. You might want to put your emotions aside for a bit, because, Caroline, we've got a doppelganger to catch." Klaus pushed his previous emotions off his face, a satisfied smirk spreading replacing them when his blonde angel gasped in surprise from his words, happy that there was a way to save her friend.

"Are you talking about…?" Caroline trailed off, the name stuck in her throat. "Are we going to find _Katherine?_" She nearly keeled over when Klaus nodded his head, the emotional turmoil of the night finally catching up to her. "Do you even have any idea _where_ _she is?_" She sat herself down in the hallway, her words saturated in confusion and fear. Caroline wasn't naïve and she'd known Katherine from many years ago. The 500 year old vampire was an expert at evading her enemies, and it would be near impossible for them to catch her in under two months.

"She's with Elijah." Caroline's eyes flashed quickly back up to Klaus, who had now joined her on the floor. In a moment of tenderness, she ignored the tension between them and gently pulled his hand into hers.

"But Elijah… your baby… If we find them… Are you… Can… Elijah has your daughter." Her words were stumbling, whirring out of her mind as she tried to find the right thing to say to Klaus. There was nothing she _could_ say though. No words that would suffice to make him feel any better about the situation. When Klaus replied though, it was short and simple, barely any trace of sadness in his voice.

"I know."

* * *

Damon was afraid to move. Afraid to _breathe_, and he could feel the very edge of stake grazing his heart. He knew that one dreadful move would send him to hell and back, eventually ending his infinite and wretched existence, but something inside him begged to be set free and for just a moment he contemplated finishing the job.

The apartment was completely void of light, unlike during his meeting with Caroline that same day, and Damon struggled to make out any particular shape or figure, vision swimming in and out of focus periodically. He could feel the vervain coursing through his veins, burning as if it were fire instead, an unbearable pain tearing through his body and wrecking him. He regrettably found himself completely immobile, and swallowed against the rising nausea and blood in the back of his throat, completely helpless against it. For the first time in what must have been an age, the great and intrepid Damon Salvatore was for once and truly stuck. Closing his eyes, he drifted into a state of limbo, not quite gone, but not completely aware of the world, and he didn't even notice when the front door creaked open, Stefan lightly stepping around the room. His confusion was apparent, and Damon heard the slightest intake of breath as Stefan flipped on the light switch and saw what an absolute _mess_ lay in the center of the living room.

"What the _hell_?" Stefan simply stood at the opposite end of the room, frozen in place, and Damon grew increasingly more frustrated with his younger brother, not even making a move to aid the injured vampire.

Voicing his thoughts, Damon brought the younger Salvatore back to the present, voice strained. "A little help here?"

Escaping from his reverie, Stefan shook his head and rushed over, both hands gripping the stake in a well practiced grip. With a moments resistance and a sickening slurp, the stake slid free from under Damon's ribs and the oldest Salvatore rolled onto his slide, blood staining his lips and the carpet below, showered anew with each hacking cough.

He grew more and more despondent as the acute pain ceased to abate, and he realised bitterly that they no longer possessed any blood bags, and fresh blood would be difficult to obtain, and he wasn't exactly in any condition to go find an innocent passerby on the streets to feed on. He would have to attempt heal the old fashioned way for a while.

Chest heaving painfully, Damon's lips curled up in a scowl, and he still managed to breathe a faint "thank you" before dragging his unresponsive body off the floor, dusting off his bloodstained shirt nonchalantly, as if nothing noteworthy had happened in the past few hours, and strode purposefully to his bedroom, feeling the need to change into a cleaner pair of clothes.

Making sure to pull on a black shirt to cover up any future bloodstains as efficiently as possible, Damon hissed as the fabric pulled on his barely closed wound. Happy that his brother was smart enough to pack a first aid kit, though under any other circumstances it would've been useless, he pulled out a thick wad of bandage and began to cover up the evidence that a sharp slab of wood had ever entered his body. Happy with his handiwork, he strolled back out to the living room to see Stefan engrossed in a good drink, though no amount of alcohol would help either of them at this point.

"I'm sick of your shit, Damon."

The dark haired vampire blinked, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm sorry, but for a moment I thought we had finally learned to _get along_?" The brothers now stood eye to eye, forest green against a harsh, cold blue.

"You've changed, and I can't say it's for the better." Breaking their moment of eye contact, Stefan walked briskly to his bedroom, and began to throw his belongings into the empty suitcase.

"What the hell are you doing?" Damon's voice rose to a volume that could only be described as pure anger and hurt. He had finally believed that his brother was beginning to look past all the bad things he had done, but was also unsurprised that he was still unforgiven, and he had begun to accept the fact that he would be unforgiven for the rest of his life.

"Leaving. Like I said, I'm done. Everywhere you go, innocent people get hurt, and you drag us all into things we shouldn't even be a part of!"

Damon nearly laughed at how all of this sounded, and to him, it sounded like a couple's breakup.

Seeing a small smirk spread across his older brother's features, Stefan sighed. "What?"

Wiping all signs of mirth from his face, Damon shook his head. "Nothing! Stop worrying, brother." The smirk reappeared on his lips, but deep inside he felt a great sadness. The way his brother's eyes looked coldly at him, full of hate and regret, not an ounce of anything resembling familial affection, and he _hated _it, and even hated himself for it.

He had lost himself to his thoughts, and he started at the loud bang from the front door, realising that he was once again alone.

"Goodbye, Stefan."

* * *

Klaus and Caroline sat together in silence, occupying the hallway for a good many hours. Each wallowed in their own dark thoughts, revelling in the silence that had settled between them. It was almost an escape from the day's pandemonium, an opportunity to slip away from the reality that had taken every chance to ravish their already damaged emotions. Eventually, when it was already dark outside, Caroline stood up and made to walk back to Damon's borrowed apartment. Before she could though, she felt a hand wrap around her arm, rooting her to the area. She turned, looking down at Klaus who had now picked himself up off the floor.

"Please, love. Don't leave me here. I don't want to be alone." Caroline was shocked. For a brief moment, Klaus had let the impermeable walls down and showed her his real feelings. She knew he wasn't just talking about the immediate situation, but about much more. Those few words encompassed Klaus' greatest fear: having no one but himself. However, she knew, she had already tried to be there for him. He wouldn't let her in. It wasn't her job anymore.

"I'm sorry, Nik." Her heart stumbled at the tiny smile he gave her, dripping with defeat. "It's not my place to comfort you anymore. You're going to have to get used to being without me." She turned again and made her way down the hallway, pausing for a second at the corner in the hopes that he might come after her. He didn't, though, and she walked away from him, no intentions of turning back.

* * *

Fingering the last empty bottle of booze, Damon dropped it to the floor. His eyes stared blankly off into the rising sun of a brand new day, but this time he didn't feel the welcomings of a pristine beginning that sunrise usually brought. He laughed humourlessly at the idea that he might've replaced all the blood in his body with alcohol, and the teetering of the room confirmed his beliefs.

"_Screw up again, Damon?" _

Eyes darting to the left, he noticed Alaric sitting with his forearms braced on his knees, leaning forward towards him.

"A bit late for the drinks, Alaric." A lopsided grin directed at his dead friend communicated all it needed to. He was drunk off his ass and he'd be damned if anyone were to ruin his buzz, much less Alaric.

"Don't drink that in front of me, buddy. You have _no_ idea how much I miss it." A mock frown graced the lips of Damon's old friend, but sooner rather than later it was replaced with a sly grin once more.

"Well don't just sit there, help yourself." Gesturing at the remaining amount of alcohol in a bottle Damon found hiding under the couch, he poured Alaric a glass, but soon remembered that Alaric couldn't feel the physical world. the thought of that hurt Damon nearly as much as the stake next to his heart had.

Setting the full glass down on the table, he pushed it closer to Alaric, smiling sadly. "Cheers, Ric," and raising his glass, he mentally toasted to nothing. Nothing at all, because in truth, he wasn't particularly grateful for much and he sure as hell wasn't grateful for his ever-lasting life. After all, everything and everyone he loved was thrown back in his face, violently and ruthlessly.

A quiet "cheers" was muttered in response, but by the time Damon looked up, Alaric was gone.

For the second time that day, Damon said goodbye, but he had a dark feeling that he wouldn't be seeing Ric again for a long time.

Door creaking open tentatively, Caroline peeked her head in, a confused look on her face. "Any guests I should know about?" Damon's head turned at the sound, and his lips were pursed in a thin white line, clearly displeased and befuddled. She stared at him, looking as though what she was talking about was obvious. "I heard voices." Caroline raised her eyebrows at him, eyes full of exasperation.

A scowl played for a moment on Damon's lips, but he managed to quickly hide it under a bittersweet smile that was slightly disconcerting. Tone not matching his seemingly kind expression, his words struck Caroline more harshly than intended. "No one. Now mind your own business, Caroline. Aren't you supposed to be making love to your hybrid?"

"And aren't you supposed to be dead on the floor?"

Rolling his eyes dramatically, he hefted himself off the couch, wincing slightly. With a mild sense of panic that was foreign to him, he knew the wound had opened again slightly. After sitting down for so long doing nothing but drinking first class liquor and talking to long dead best friends, he had completely forgotten about recent events. Taking mindful steps on legs shaky from a mix between blood loss and residual verain, he stood before Caroline, smelling like rust and alcohol. "Aren't you supposed to be staying out of my way, and out of my place?" To him this was a game now, and he enjoyed teasing her gently far more than he should've.

Caroline took a step towards him, their chests almost touching. A playful smirk set itself on her face. "I'll stay out of your place when you get out of my _life_."

Damon kissed her. Neither of them expected it. Thoughts a mess, all he could grab a hold of was his infinite lust for her. At first, Caroline stood stock still, lips unmoving against his. Her body was rigid with shock. Realising that she wasn't responding, Damon started to pull away. Just as his lips left hers, he found himself being pulled back to her mouth, smiling against her as she desperately wrapped her arms around his neck and tethered herself to him.

After a long moment of heated passion, the two broke apart, breathless. "Wow," Damon murmured, smiling his first genuine smile it what had seemed like an age. "Not bad, Caroline. Not bad." With a wink, he turned on his heels and took his shirt off in one swift, practiced motion.

Caroline gasped as she saw his bare chest, but not just because his body was sculpted like a perfect marble statue. The second thing Caroline had noticed was that Damon had a rather large wound prominently situated just off his heart. It was a wound that should have healed long before she'd returned to him. She reached her fingers out, gently holding them above the injury and wincing as she did so.

"Look, Caroline. I know you can't resist my charm, my good looks...my body." Another sly wink flew through the empty space between them, but Caroline didn't seem impressed. "No need to stand there and stare. I'm _all_ yours." He wanted to brush his injury off, because he knew he'd be alright given time. He was having far too much fun with Caroline to let it get ruined from just another wound given by yet another Original vampire.

He watched as gently, she placed her palm on the flimsy bandage, exhaling as she did so. Caroline caressed the skin around the injury, and Damon found himself caught up in the moment of it all. "I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing that the whole thing was her fault. In response, Damon brought a finger to her chin, tilting her head up and forcing her to look at his face. His eyes were full of forgiveness. It wasn't her fault her husband was a dick.

Bowing his head down to hers, watched as her eyes fluttered guiltily towards him. Just before their lips met for another tender kiss, Caroline disappeared from his vision. "No." Her voice shook from across the room. Damon was taken aback at her reaction, expecting a response reminiscent of their previous one.

Taking a deep breath with the intent to sigh dramatically, Damon's breath hitched in his throat. His body was wracked with violent coughs, blood once again staining his lips and the table that he was now doubled over. The taste of copper flooded his tongue and for a few moments of brief torture, he struggled to breath. Looking up, he found Caroline had moved back over to him, and was now staring down at him in concern. She frowned. "No need to be so dramatic about it. I'm sure you've dealt with rejection before. You don't need to regurgitate _blood_ for me."

She grabbed his shoulders and moved him back onto the couch. "Well," she began, "since you've shut up, I'm going to explain myself. I'm still married to Klaus. I mean, we're not together anymore, but we're still together." Damon looked at her as if she had absolutely lost her mind. She facepalmed. "I don't know how to say it. Look, it's so soon and I still love him, no matter what I feel for you. And you deserve better than to be my rebound guy. Heck, you're still in love with Elena, and I won't be a rebound girl _again_. Not after Matt. I promised myself that I wouldn't fall in love with you, Damon. I always keep my promises. So no matter what I feel, I'm going to bury it." Damon wiped the residual blood from his lips, and he turned to look at her incredulously_**.**_

"Wow Caroline, there's no need to get ahead of yourself. _Feelings_ aren't necessary to have a bit of _fun_." Voice slightly hoarse, he emphasised the '_fun'_, meaning something else entirely, but he knew Caroline would understand the innuendo.

She glared at him, making it clear that she wasn't going to kiss him just because it felt good. "Can we just be friends? For now, anyway?"

Damon sighed, reluctantly nodding at her. At least she'd acknowledged that she felt something. It gave him hope for the future. He opened his arms to her, and she settled against his chest, both of them relishing in the comfort of their newfound friendship. Exhaling contentedly, Damon closed his eyes, exhausted. Revelling in the feeling of Caroline's hair tickling his chest and the fact that her living and breathing body lay in his arms, his lips curved up in a tentative smile. Together, they both slept in peace that night.


End file.
